


Heart and Soldier II - Return of Hope

by Sapphirah



Series: Heart and Soldier [Undertale AU] [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Action, Alphyne, Alphys Shipper, Amalgamates, Asgoriel, Darkness, Drama, Everyone shipping them, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Frans - Freeform, Guardians - Freeform, Police, SECOND PART YAY, Underguardians, Underguardians AU, WHY IS GASTER LISTED?, artifact, give me FRANS, hm... you should know soon, legendary, light - Freeform, no possession anymore, powers, surface - Freeform, theory, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-07 19:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 77,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14087580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphirah/pseuds/Sapphirah
Summary: MAIN BANNER: http://fav.me/dc2hxf3After leaving the mount, Frisk made monsters being adapted to the surface and they learned to live between humans. Everything was fine until Frisk receives the new that she’ll be transferred to another town, leaving your friends. She built the monster’s embassy in the capital and she had to deal with many challenges. Three years later, many things changed. Frisk growned up and your friends managed to have a normal life along with other monsters. However, something happened in Underground and Frisk felt being forced to return to the vile where her friends were, decided to combat the evil once again. How they’ll react to her return? Will they fight at her side?A new threat appeared and he’ll do anything to reach the artifact, Will who be? Frisk will recover the artifact after it had gone?This is the beginning of a new war.----OBS: This story is the sequel of Heart and Soldier first part, if you didn’t read it yet, please read the previous part before reading this.In this fanfiction, Frisk is female.From there, the story will have some focus on romance, hope you like the development of the story! :)See ya soon!





	1. Coming Back

                Walking with Toriel after descending the hill, Frisk saw her friends amusing themselves on the grassy lawn, breathing the air of the surface they longed for. Frisk felt that from there, a new beginning would emerge; all the monsters will know how the world works and Frisk was aware of the difficulties that will arise. Lined up, the monsters were walking out of the mountain and they passed by the top watching the view of the village as they walked, they hardly believed it was real: the sky, the forest, the small view of the village and the bright sun that illuminated all local.

                As they all walked toward the village, Frisk heard noises through the forest, screams and footsteps approached the place where they were. The monsters began to feel frightened and Frisk looked around, wondering what was going on. From the bushes began to appear policemen, sniffer dogs and detectives, all with apprehensive glances, they saw Frisk surrounded by completely different creatures, some bizarre.

                They stopped and stared at each other in shock. This wasn’t normal, it was almost impossible for monsters to exist. They looked back at the monsters and positioned themselves, pointing their weapons and surrendering everyone there, ordering them to do nothing with the human. Frisk immediately ran to them, ordering them not to attack. The monsters looked at the cops and were surrounded, scared and confused. Frisk didn’t know what to do; the mood was in complete disarray. But before something happen, a person appeared between humans’ side, he was the detective boss. He reached Frisk and asked the police officers to stop. Then, he grabbed a note to confer a list of disappeared people; in one of the pages her name was included.

?: Your name?

Frisk: I’m Frisk.

Marcos: I’m detective Marcos, I received a report including your disappearance. “Since 10 a.m., last localization near Mount Ebbot.” I’ll need to ask you some questions.

Frisk: And what will you do with my friends?

Marcos: That’s not my work; the delegate will take care of them.

Frisk: No!

                That person looked back to Frisk, surprised that she won’t leave them. Then, one of the soldiers approached him, wondering what they should do now. Frisk showed her constancy and reluctance, even if he oblied her, she will do anything to not move avay from them. By the other side, all the mosters was looking at her, frightened, except Papyrus, he was looking to a German shepherd dog curiously, the dog was vigilant at any movement of him.

Papyrus: Hey guys, this one looks like one of the Royal Guard! Does he likes affection?

Undyne: Papyrus! Don’t touch him!

Papyrus: Why? I had never seen one of them before...

Asgore: Do not worry Papyrus, we should find more of them later, for sure.

                Every police men looked each other surprised, they didn’t expect the monsters could talk their language, and more, they were rational beings like any other human. They lowered the guns and waited for the detective’s comand. And the detective looked around, seeing that was a reason for Frisk protecting them.

Marcos: Right… I’ll keep them safe until being sure they understand our laws.

Frisk: But why?

Marcos: This case is too complicated, we need to analyze the entire process before deciding anything. If you trust your friends, we need all your informations.

Toriel: Can’t we be accepted by your people without that?

Undyne: Hey nerd, should we trust this guy? I think they are planning something.

Frisk: … Are you sure of that?

Marcos: Absolutely. I promisse they’ll be in good hands.

                Sad by the situation she had put everyone in, Frisk looked to her friends and all monsters around, they were frightened by the new, but they saw Frisk with good mood.

Frisk: Guys… I know you all are bored with that… But it’ll be just for a short time! Let’s show them we all are civilizated and have high standards like them!

Papyrus: I agree! I’ll show them my high standards and cooking skills!

Asgore: We trust you, kid.

                One by one, the monsters had been convinced by her words and calmed down. Then, she turned around and approached the detective to follow him, he noticed Frisk could talk to the monsters with authority and he was surprised.

Marcos: Do you have a job with them?

Frisk: I’m the future ambassor of them.

Marcos: Wish you good luck. Come in, your family are worried with you.

                Frisk remembered the supposed dream she had when she was on the surface, seeing her uncles worried with her was something surreal, but now, that wasn’t an illusion anymore, she had returned indeed.Arriving into the police station, Frisk saw her uncles sat near the delegate’s office and saw her coming. They ran to her and hugged her, worried about what could happen if they didn’t managed to find her. Frisk instead wasn’t happy to see them.

Aunt: Are you ok? Did you hurt?

Frisk: I’m fine, really...

Marcos: I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have another case above hers to resolve, I need to ask her some questions before releasing her.

                They stopped hugging her and looked each other worried, wondering which case she belongs too was. Frisk went to his office and when she sat on a chair, he started asking how she went to the Mount Ebbot, how she discovered the monsters and how she managed to release them from the Underground. At the beginning, Frisk wasn’t sure if she should tell everything in details, because humans don’t use magic like monsters and by any reason, she had blessed with powers. If he’ll believe her or not; this case seems far to be solved.

Frisk: Well… I ended up losing myself to my colleagues, and I couldn’t find my way back, so… It may be hard to believe. But I saw a floating light, it flew inside the forest and I decided to follow it, and it took me to the entrance of the Mount.

                He was focused, writing everything he heard from her, and he doesn’t seem impressed by her words, asking her to continue.

Frisk: When I entered the underground, I had met my friends and I knew that monsters were in danger there, there were darkness beings that controlled them. I decided to help all of them, even knowing that they didn’t trust humans, few by few they started to believe in me, and in the end, I managed to release them.

                From there on, he stopped writing and looked at her, confused, he hoped that it wasn’t her invention and Frisk doesn’t seems to be lying.

Marcos: How did you help them?

Frisk: I… discovered I had powers… I could cast out malefic spirits from them and it made them back to normal.

                This moment, he became surprised. How a human could have powers? He started to think in a way to manage a proof of that, but if her power reacts only by a presence of a dark being, he wouldn’t catch up much information, unless that…

Marcos: Your friends can testify that?

Frisk: Yes…

Marcos: We will need witnesses to prove this and I hope they can collaborate.

Frisk: Sir, I am sure they can act as we, civilly, as you suggest.

Marcos: I believe so. Thanks for the informations, you can leave.          

                Frisk left the office and sat down near her uncles, waiting that this would end up sooner. Some time passed and Frisk saw her friends coming to the Police Station: Asgore, Undyne, Papyrus, Toriel, Sans and Alphys; They were being escorted by some police officers. Every employee and detective looked at them astonished and surprised, but Marcos called one by one to interview and the others waited while seated. In this time, Frisk presented her friends to her uncles and for her surprise; they were charmed to meet the monsters who helped Frisk in the Underground.

                After interviewing everyone, Marcos called Frisk one more time and she entered his office. He wasn’t looking at her, instead, he could only watch the report he wrote after interviewing everyone and noticed Frisk was there.

Frisk: … Sir?

Marcos: This time I called you by another reason.

                Frisk stayed there, waiting for his question; meanwhile he adjusts his glasses and arranges his papers, without looking at her.

Marcos: The artifact of the legend… does it exists?

Frisk: … Yes.

Marcos: I remember… when I was a kid, since I heard about the legend, I wished to climb the mount and find the artifact, but my family never allowed me to go there. Is it with you? I just want to see it.

                Frisk remembered the last time when she received the powers from the Artifact to defeat Asriel, but she never had the chance to see the artifact fisically by her own eyes. She only had owned it by her friends at her side, and after she released them, the artifact had disappeared. After remembering that, Frisk looked at him apprehensive, she didn’t know how to answer this, fearing to disappoint him.

Frisk: I… when I released them… it…

Marcos: Dissapeared? … I see.

                To her surprise, he wasn’t disappointed; instead, he was glad to hear this. Marcos returned to look her convinced by her words.

Marcos: Thanks for answering; I should send the report and your documentation to create the embassy. If you need something, you can count with me.

                After that, Frisk saw him raising his hand and they shaked hands; After all, Frisk was relieved to see he believed her without questioning. After the interview, Marcos wrote the complete report and sent it to the government with the order to create an embassy of the monsters. Meanwhile the answer doesn’t arrive, all monsters started to adapt on the surface. They used wood and boulders to build their homes and used magic in most of their buildings. With that, they were observed and visited by curious people. Few by few, the people of the village started to accept them and recognize them as civilians; Humans shared their knowledge with the monsters, meanwhile they had the chance to meet the use of magic by the monsters.

                When Frisk returned to school, all the classmates noticed her sudden change and saw her high confidence and self esteem, leaving them impressed, even all teachers. Frisk was indeed happy, she found a reason of life to herself and she was decided to support the monsters to adapt on surface.

                When the answer arrived weeks later, Frisk read the letter, authorizing the creation of the monster’s embassy and asking the appointment of the partners and ministers. Frisk didn’t lose time and asked for help to her uncles to contact any interest partner to help her to inaugurate the embassy, preferably, inside the village. Getting closer and closer being able to create and manage the embassy, Frisk knew that all her friends would be on her side to support her. Thinking of how her friends would react, Frisk immediately put the letter away and intended to tell her friends the next day.

                She woke up in the morning, getting up and looked at her clock, seeing that it was nine in the morning. Her uncles had left earlier and Frisk entered her computer to surf the internet and see what her friends were posting on social networks. Seeing the same publications from the previous day, Frisk decided to leave the internet aside and get ready to leave the house and visit her friends.

                As she walked through the village, Frisk saw how the monsters were gradually adapting in the city, several of them were offering their services to promote good to society and Frisk saw the social interaction between them growing more and more. It was great for her to see it; she saw the realization in the eyes of all the monsters.

                Suddenly, a message arrived on her cell phone; she opened the message and received a statement to visit one of the partners she had contacted to assist the embassy as soon as possible, and if possible, accompanied by a senior official or a bodyguard representative. Frisk sighed deeply and put away her cell phone, deciding that she would do it later. Then she stopped and noticed a detail in the message she had read. "Bodyguard"? Why does she need a bodyguard next to her? She started to wonder if there was a chance of her being targeted by pursuers who fed hatred against the monsters. Frisk began to feel tense thinking about it, however, she stopped and took a deep breath, it wasn’t good to think about it at the moment. She wanted to just enjoy her day and visit her friends before she started working at the embassy.

                Frisk walked to the village of the monsters and several of them recognized Frisk coming, greeting her. She walked over to her foster parents' house and knocked on the door, hoping they were there. But no one answered. Frisk did not want to wait longer and went to visit the skeleton brothers, Undyne and Alphys, in their respective houses; however, she was surprised to have no one there. Was it a coincidence that they all left?

                Frisk felt she was forgetting something, but she could not remember what it was. Discontented, she decided to leave the place and return home, but on the other side of the village, someone was approaching and Frisk looked to see who was around. She saw Sans approaching and she seems relieved to see him.

Sans: Hey kiddo.

Frisk: Sans! I thought I wouldn’t see anyone today, did they all leave?

Sans: Yeah, they went to look for an employment.

Frisk: And aren’t you?

Sans: Nah, I still have one... I need to help Grillby to open his new pub.

Frisk: That’s great.

Sans: And what brought ya here?

Frisk: I just wanted to see you ... But I can come back later.

                Frisk kept her letter hidden and looked at him anxiously and sweating coldly. Sans realized she was hiding something and decided not to ask, letting her decide when to speak.

Sans: I see... I believe they’ll be here at six p.m.

Frisk: Right... I need to do something before, but I’ll return later, thank you!

                She waved at him and walked away quickly, she did not expect everyone to leave, but she expected to see them later as arranged. Remembering the last time they met, it had been a few days since Frisk was so focused on the final exams and the embassy that she barely had time to visit her friends.

                 She was walking quietly, returning home when she heard a few footsteps. She could clearly hear that someone was walking the same steps and in the same direction as hers. She closed her eyes and dreaded looking back; she could feel herself being followed by someone. Frisk decided to walk faster and take another shortcut in an attempt to disperse him. She then took a detour and hid inside a supermarket. Knowing he wouldn’t try to look her in, Frisk stayed there for half an hour before leaving. When she left the supermarket, she looked around subtly and saw there was no one suspect in the street. Relieved, it seems she wasn’t mistaken, seeing that she really needed someone to protect her even out of the Underground.

                A few hours later, Frisk was in her room contacting several members and they talked to her, saying that it would be great if she created the embassy in the capital. Even though she was far away, she would have greater support. Frisk knew that the capital was very far from the village and she was undecided, Frisk thought that her friends wouldn’t adapt well to the capital, for being a city much more hectic than normal. Facing this conflict, she saw that today wasn’t her day: She didn’t see her friends sooner, she had the feeling of being followed and the partners she contacted didn’t agree to create the embassy in the village.

                In the meantime, her uncles called her to dinner and Frisk sighed before she left the room and went into the living room when she saw they had prepared something for her. On the table, there was a cake with candles and Frisk looked stunned, she had forgotten it was her birthday.

Aunt: Happy birthday Frisk!

Frisk: …Thanks…

Aunt: You're putting a lot of work into the embassy, but you need a day off, my dear! I hope you like the cake.

Frisk: I really had forgotten...

Uncle: And we have one more thing to you!

                He gave space to show Frisk his present behind him. Frisk looked at what he had hidden and saw a new bike, leaving her in surprise. She always wanted a bike since she was younger. Frisk hugged her uncle, grateful.

Frisk: Thank you! You remembered!

Aunt: And your friends? Did you go to see them?

Frisk: ... Really!

                Frisk soon remembered that she had yet to visit her friends. She ate a piece of her cake and ran from the living room to her bedroom. She took the letter back and went out quickly, taking her bike and pedaling to the new village of the monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG THE SEQUEL IS HERE!!  
> I'm so excited to show it! I hope to fulfill your expectations with this season!   
> So stay tuned for more and see ya soon!


	2. Rescue

                Frisk rode the village of monsters to the house of Toriel and Asgore. She quickly left her bike and knocked on the door. Suddenly, someone opened the door and pulled Frisk inside quickly and everyone turned on the lights. Frisk was startled to hear the balloons bursting and everyone screaming at the same time.

                 “SURPRISE!”

                She saw everyone around a table with candy, confetti spread on the floor and a big birthday cake. Everyone was clapping and putting birthday hats on everyone's head. Frisk was given a hat and was happy to see her friends back. She looked to the side and saw Undyne, it was her who pulled her inside.

Undyne: Congratulations, punk! Did you think we didn’t know?

Alphys: Your uncles sent us a message yesterday about your birthday. We had been helping with sweets all day.

Papyrus: And don't forget to taste my new spaghetti recipe, especially made for your day, human!

Frisk: Guys...

Undyne: Sorry to ask, but ... how old are you, nerd?

Frisk: Fifteen years.

                Undyne stared at her in astonishment, and Frisk did not understand the fuss she'd made.

Undyne: FIFTEEN YET? I thought you had over a hundred years...

Frisk: ... What...?

Alphys: U-Undyne! ... Humans don't live that long! Well... there are some who reach that age, but...

Undyne: Fuhuhuhu, I was just kidding, nerd!

Alphys: Ah Frisk! Can I measure your height?

                Frisk wondered how Alphys would do this, since she had shorter arms and supposedly she wouldn’t use a tape measure. Alphys took her by the fist and led her to a smooth wall. She picked up a machine and turned it on, then, Alphys was able to use the sensor that measured the exact height.

Frisk: I don’t remember the last time I made that.        

Alphys: You've been growing up faster since we met; I estimate your height is up to 5,5 feet.

Frisk: Cool! I’m not the short one anymore here...

Sans: But you’re a kid yet.

                Frisk looked at him irritably after hearing his reply; she did not want to keep hearing that she was still a child to him and couldn't wait to prove otherwise. Soon her anger was interrupted by Asgore.

Asgore: And how are things, young lady?

Frisk: Are fine. I wish I had seen you sooner, but ...

Toriel: In fact, we hadn’t gone to look for a job. That was just an excuse to not saying we were planning your party.

Frisk: Yeah, I see...

Toriel: Well... Why don’t we enjoy it now?

Frisk: That’s right! I have something to say…

                They began to look at her, curious to know what she had to say. They watched her pick up the letter and she read aloud for all to hear.

_"To your lady,_   
_Having examined the proxy of the delegate together with the evidence given by the judge, we authorized the creation of the Monsters' Embassy in order to comply with the pending agreement at the request of your landlord._   
_Having said this, I sign this document proving my word and I give faith.”_

                After hearing this, her friends celebrated and congratulated her for having obtained the authorization to create the embassy and Frisk could feel the excitement of all. She had to admit that she was happy to spend that moment with them, but something still disturbed her. She was still thinking about what her partners talked about and Frisk was still undecided, no matter how good the embassy in the capital is a good idea, she did not want to leave her friends. When she realized what she was thinking, Frisk stopped and decided to enjoy the party with her friends. She called her uncles asking to spent the night with her friends, so they agreed.

                They spent the night watching movies, talking and playing group challenges. After much celebration, they all left, returning to their homes and Toriel had separated a room for Frisk to sleep. Although the bed was so comfortable, she couldn’t sleep; Frisk still thought about what happened today and she was scared. Frisk picked up her cell phone and did not expect to receive a message at dawn, she opened it to read and was surprised at what she received.

Sans: - Hey kiddo, hope ya're enjoying your day. But if ya have something to say, I'm here, kay?

                She hadn’t expected to be so subtle this whole time. But she knew he noticed well when something was wrong. Frisk decided to not hide what she thought and wondered what he would think if he knew Frisk would need a bodyguard. She soon typed a message to him.

Frisk: - I was thinking… When I’ll be ambassor, maybe I’ll need a bodyguard?

Sans: - Heh… if ya need a BODYguard, ya should ask Undyne if she can deliver her armor.

                Frisk did not stop laughing when she read this, it was a good pun.

Sans: - Just kidding. Seriously why? That bores ya?

Frisk: - After we saw each other today, I was coming home and I felt I was being followed by someone. I hope it was just my imagination.

Sans: - Aren’t ya going to use your powers to defend yourself?

Frisk: - Not in front of everyone.

Sans: - So ya want me to defend?

Frisk: - I didn’t mean it...

Sans: - ok.

                Frisk was surprised he hadn’t denied it, was he really serious about it? He protected her practically all her way through the Underground, and Frisk didn’t want to give him that job again. And if Frisk had to go to the capital, she would not want him and his brother to separate. She had to admit that seeing them apart was a very difficult thing to happen, so her idea was out of question. Frisk said goodbye to him and went to sleep.

                Before she could fall asleep, she remembered the moments when Sans was the hooded guy. There was no moment when she was in danger that he hadn’t stopped helping her. It reminded her feelings, and Frisk could not help but remember the kiss on his forehead. But as she returned the thought to Sans, she looked embarrassed and put her head on the pillow, she did not believe she had liked him before and felt disgust at the thought of it, they were just friends now. Frisk then wondered if it was possible for a human and monster to get together, she did not know, but she believed it was difficult for that to happen. The next day Frisk woke up in the morning and changed her clothes to go back to her house. As she left the room, she found Toriel reading a book and Asgore was out, watering his plants. Toriel noticed Frisk nearby and stopped reading.

Toriel: Good morning my child, did you sleep well?

Frisk: Yeah mom.

Toriel: The breakfast is on the table, make yourself.

Frisk: Thanks, but I can’ stay for a long time, I need to do many things.

Toriel: I see...

                Frisk thanked Toriel and ate her breakfast before returning home. On the way out, she said good-bye to Asgore, who was still taking care of his plants, and then she pedaled back to her house. In the middle of the way, the tire of her bicycle had stuck and Frisk realized that she would have to return home, taking it on foot. She hoped this was just bad luck; Coincidentally, she began to realize that it wasn’t just that. She could hear strange strides following her again. This sense of danger made her afraid and she closed her eyes, she wanted to believe that she was mistaken, but at the same time she was asking for help internally.

                The person following her was a well-disguised man, he took a pocketknife from his pocket and, opening it, he threw it toward Frisk and a few seconds later, a large bone appeared behind Frisk, blocking the pocket knife and making it fall to the floor. After hearing a clatter of knife falling on the floor, Frisk opened his eyes, startled, and slowly turned back. She saw the man paralyzed behind her, both separated by a broad bone. People around stopped to look at that scene in dismay and didn't understand what had happened there. Before they discovered it, the man took advantage of it to escape, but he didn't notice that there was someone blocking his way. He saw someone staring at him coldly, without his pupils and with a sinister grin.

Sans: Are ya in a hurry?

                At that voice, Frisk recognized him and looked that bewildered scene, she did not expect Sans to be around, protecting her as before. Or should she wait for it when she mentioned it yesterday? When the man saw that he blocking his way, he jumped back to pick up the fallen penknife on the ground. Seeing this, Sans held out his hand and a bone flew to the pocketknife, pinning it to the ground. The man, seeing this, was agonized, and looked at Sans, sweating coldly. Soon the skeleton lowered his hand tightly and used his magic to make the man cling to the ground without moving.

Sans: You won’t do that. If I were you, I would think twice before raising a knife to a child.

                Hearing this, people began to see the man as a murderer and began to scream, denouncing him. While the place was in turmoil, Sans teleported himself and took Frisk along with him. They both stopped inside a house and Frisk sat down on the couch, perplexed. It had been a long time since she'd been saved and it was like the first time. She was distressed, wondering why a man tried to kill her. Sans noticed that she was strange.

Sans: I’ll bring some water.

                Having said that, he went to the kitchen and Frisk began to notice the house where she was: the furniture, the television and the pictures around were recognizable. The house had two floors as before, and this time there were three rooms. Frisk wondered if they decided to improvise an extra room if Undyne had her house burned again. As she remembered this, Frisk remembered the time she had with her underground friends.

                From afar, Frisk began to hear heavy, quick footsteps approaching the front door, and she noticed someone opening the door. Papyrus had arrived with his new police uniform and he ran to the kitchen, calling his brother. He had barely noticed that Frisk was around.

Papyrus: Sans! Are you there? Today I learned a new recipe with Undyne to make lunch! ... And this glass of water?

                Without another sound, Papyrus left the kitchen and noticed that Frisk was on the couch. He ran and hugged her, happy to see her at home today.

Papyrus: Human! It’s a long time I don’t see you here! Did you came to visit us?

Frisk: Actually... It wasn’t the reason.

Sans: I brought her here cause she had a man chasing her. I could intervene before something bad happen.

                Sans delivered the glass of water for her and Papyrus looked him frightened when heared this. He turned to look Frisk, worried.

Papyrus: And are you okay? Didn’t you hurt? I hope my brother did a good job saving you.

Frisk: ... Yeah, I’m fine.

Papyrus: Do not worry, human. I, the Great Papyrus, will write a complaint about it! I imagine you're going to wonder how ... I say that because I finally got into the police! I hope they give me a decent position to defend the city.

Frisk: Congratulations Paps!

Papyrus: Would you like to meet our new house, human?

Frisk: I would, but I have to return home, my uncles are waiting for me.

Papyrus: Come back when you can, I want you to taste one of my new recipes!

Sans: You want me to take you there?

                Before Frisk answered, Papyrus felt uncomfortable with such a question and retorted, knowing that Frisk had been persecuted today.

Papyrus: OF COURSE SHE WANTS! Don’t be a fool, Sans! What if something happens to her again? There is nothing safer for her than your company.

                They knew Papyrus had said that without any other intentions, but hearing that made both uncomfortable and they didn’t look each other for a few seconds.

Sans: Ok...

Frisk: It was good to see you again, Paps.

Papyrus: See you soon human, take care!

                Sans reached out and while she didn’t look at him, she took his hand. Both teleported until they reached the door of Frisk's house; She let go of him, looking awkwardly.

Frisk: Thank you... see ya.

                She smiled up at him and turned, going to the front door and opened it to enter the house. As she closed the door, Frisk saw her uncles approaching to receive her and asked how it was yesterday. Frisk spared no detail and also told of the incident this morning. The uncles looked at each other in alarm and debated.

Aunt: Did you say that skeleton that helped you underground saved you from that thug?

Uncle: Coincidence? I think I know why he keeps protecting her.

Aunt: ...What do you mean with that?

Uncle: I'm saying it may have some interest in...

Frisk: ...I-I’m going to my room, ok?

Aunt: ...Wait Frisk! There’s something we should say to you.

Frisk turned to look behind and looked frightened at them. Her uncles looked at each other and found it best to tell her what they had prepared.

Aunt: You know... Your uncle and I talked to an entrepreneur who lives in the capital. He is a great family friend, and he had agreed to help you at the embassy. And not only that, your uncle has researched a job offer and we will be transferred in a week!

Frisk: ...What?

Uncle: We're going to the capital a few days before we can get the contract right.

                Frisk became scared; she did not expect such news. If her uncles were going to the capital, that meant she should go with them. Or, if she refused, she could stay with Toriel and Asgore. However, it would be selfish of her not going, she was given several chances to go to the capital to create the embassy there that, if she refused, she might not receive another. There was no one interested in setting up the embassy in the village and that made her sad because she didn’t want to leave her friends. Her uncles noticed her sudden change of mood and worried.

Aunt: Frisk... are you ok?

Frisk: ...It’s ok, thanks for saying this... I’ll think about it.

Aunt: Are you sure?

                She stated subtly and went to her room, closed the door and sat on her bed. She saw the possibility of going to the capital to rise a lot and Frisk felt her anguish grow. She never imagined that she would leave her friends so briefly. She soon recalled the good times she spent with them yesterday. She was frustrated, not knowing how she would tell her friends about it and especially how she would handle her feelings. Days went by and Frisk did her best to spend some time with her friends, but when she walked to Sans, she just saluted him and after that avoided looking at him. Frisk only wondered why Sans decided to protect her like before. Was it just out of friendship? Or out of consideration that she released all the monsters? She wanted to know the reason from him honestly, but she did not feel the courage to ask. Somehow, she began to feel confused and her feelings began to unfold again.

                As the days passed, she forgot the supposed new and Frisk didn’t think about what she was going to say to them. With only two days left to go, it was evening and Frisk was sitting at the desk with her head on the table. She could not make up her mind, worried she'd left it at the last minute. Her uncles were packing their bags and she neither feel like eating. Suddenly someone knocked on the door of her room and Frisk saw her aunt entering. She called for dinner and Frisk didn’t respond. So she decided to approach Frisk, sitting on her bed to talk better.

Aunt: ... You’re still thinking on them, right?

                Frisk just sighed and did not know what to say. Her aunt began to straighten Frisk's hair and kept talking.

Aunt: I saw how happy you were to have been able to create the embassy and everyone here admires you. If you do not want to, you don’t have to come with us.

Frisk: Actually...

                Her aunt took her hand out of her hair and Frisk turned to look at her, she was really worried.

Frisk: I don’t know what I do ... It would be good if I went with you, but ... I can’t leave them.

Aunt: Why don’t you call them too?

Frisk: It wouldn’t be good if I did this, it's too late.

Aunt: So you plan on visiting them?

Frisk: I don't know if I will be able to visit frequently ...

                Seeing that the situation was indeed complicated, her aunt sighed a little and got up, leaving her room. Before leaving, she commented one last thing before.

Aunt: Well, you have until tomorrow to decide. And hurry up, dinner will cool.

                She left her room, leaving Frisk alone. She waited a moment to pick up her cell phone and look at the last photos she took with her friends. She saw Undyne cooking with Papyrus and both making lots of mess in the background; The new collections of animes and action figures that Alphys bought; Toriel showing his students from her school and another photo of the thousands that Asgore always shows of his flowers every day.

                Seeing these pictures, Frisk got up from her desk and went to her bedroom’s window to think once more of what she should do. Knowing that she wouldn’t decide alone, she picked up her cell phone and texted all her friends, saying she should tell them something important as soon as possible. She marked at Toriel's house tomorrow morning and closed her cell phone. She wanted to know what her friends would think of this new and if they accepted then she would.


	3. Decision

                Frisk left the house the following morning and took her bicycle, pedaling to the house of Toriel. As she pedaled, she felt the breeze blowing and she thought again of how she was going to tell her friends about her going to the capital. Upon arrival, she set the bike by the side of the house and Frisk saw Asgore watering his garden of golden flowers. He saw her nearby and greeted her cheerfully.

Asgore: Good morning, Frisk, it's a beautiful day today.

Frisk: Yeah, is mom inside?

Asgore: Yes, Want to join us and have a cup of tea?

Frisk: I do, thanks.

                She came in after answering and Asgore continued to water his plants. Frisk noticed the clean and tidy house while Toriel was in the armchair reading a book when she saw Frisk come in, she closed the book and stood to embrace her.

Toriel: My child, it’s good to see you. Is it everything ok?

Frisk: Yeah, I called everyone to come here today because I need to tell you something important.

Toriel: Oh, yes, I saw your message, I'll get you something to eat, okay?

                Toriel left Frisk in the living room and headed for the kitchen. Meanwhile, Frisk stared at the bookcase in front of her, the one she had seen in the House of the Ruins while Toriel lived there. Curiously she looked at the books that were stored and found an unnamed one. Frisk took an interest in it and picked it up as she sat down in the armchair. Looking inside, it was apparently a photo album and she saw some old photos: her marriage to Asgore, their coronation, and a baby being carried in her arms. Before continuing to watch, Frisk looked at the kitchen where Toriel was to make sure she would not see her looking at this album. Meanwhile, Toriel was looking at the refrigerator and looking for what to prepare for lunch, a bad habit.

                Frisk looked back at the album and recognized who the baby was, Asriel. Leafing through, she saw him growing, learning to walk, and there is a picture of him with the sweater he won, being wide on his body. The joy he conveyed in the photos certainly infected those who saw him. Leafing through again, there was only one photo remaining: Asriel was smiling holding several golden flowers, and beside him was a child, holding the same flowers, but she did not look at the camera, the flowers capped her face. Apparently she was of the same stature as Asriel, her hair was red and fair-skinned. Frisk closed the album and quickly put it on the shelf before Toriel could see that album in her hands and relive bad memories.

                She continued to stare at the bookcase as Toriel approached her.

Toriel: So how's business? Looking forward to being the new ambassador?

Frisk: A lot... That's just what I wanted to talk about.

Toriel: I see... Is it serious?

                Before Frisk could say another word, the bell rang and Toriel walked to the door to receive who had arrived. Undyne, Papyrus and Sans were there and when they saw Frisk, Undyne was the first to reach her to give her a tight hug.

Undyne: How's our favorite human?

Papyrus: Undyne! Watch out her bones!

                Undyne continued to hug her, and finally, she laid Frisk on the floor. She was shivering at her for snapping her back completely. From there she looked at both of them and tried not to tremble.

Frisk: ... It’s good to see you too...

Undyne: We heard you want to say something important.

Papyrus: I already told you that you're already here waiting.

Frisk: Don't worry, I'm not in a hurry, I should even stay for lunch.

Papyrus: A lunch among friends? Leave it to me, human! The Great Papyrus has a special recipe up its sleeve!

Undyne: Do you read recipes at work?

Papyrus: Only on break!

                Saying this, he folded his sleeves and grabbed a paper tucked away in one of the sleeves of his left arm and lifted it up with vehemence.

Papyrus: I, the Great Papyrus, will make the best spaghetti you have ever tasted in your entire life to commemorate your achievement as ambassador.

                Seeing Papyrus always so excited, Frisk did not resist and was infected by his good humor, that made forgetting his problems.

Frisk: Thank you.

Toriel: Well, I'll keep separating the ingredients.

                The four of them headed for the kitchen, leaving Frisk in the living room. Few by few, Alphys, Mettaton, and Napstablook arrived. Frisk also received them cheerfully and Alphys chatted with Frisk about the new seasons of anime she recommended and Frisk even came to recommend a new anime girls magical for her. Mettaton showed Frisk his new collection of clothes launched with his brand and gave her a new piece. Napstablook timidly gave a copy of the new album he released from his own ghostly music studio and Frisk gently accepted. Suddenly, Undyne came to interrupt the four of them to show Frisk his new fighting strokes she had been training.

                While Frisk was very receptive to the conversations, Sans watched Papyrus helping Asgore and Toriel in the kitchen, and at the same time he looked at the five of them in the living room. He noticed how everyone talked to each other, especially Frisk. Speaking of her, she looked over to the kitchen and saw Sans there, looking at her. It did not even take a second and she turned her head away from him nervously. For some reason she was avoiding him and he did not understand why it was happening. Frisk could only feel her chest burning and her stomach wrapping strong, she did not want to admit her feelings and condemned herself for being a 15 year old girl with strong feelings. Already Sans began to feel impatient with her attitude, but he hoped she would speak when the time came.

                At lunchtime, there was not enough place for everyone at the table and Alphys decided to sit down on the couch for being accustomed and Undyne wanted to accompany her while watching anime. Napstablook doesn’t have lunch and was curious to watch anime with the two girls. The rest were at the table talking and exchanging jokes, especially Sans and Toriel, who traded several since they were underground, Papyrus was agonized to hear the puns while the others had fun, especially Frisk. Suddenly, Undyne turned to see everyone at the table and spoke to them.

Undyne: Hey! Listen to this! What the salmon was doing on the beach?

Papyrus: YOU WON'T TOO...

Undyne: ... It was jumping waves!

Papyrus: ... I CAN’T DEAL WITH IT ANYMORE!

                Frisk never laughed so much in life after seeing Papyrus more agonized with Undyne's joke. Practically everyone was laughing at the situation.

Toriel: I never had as much fun as today.

Frisk: Yes, you really are.

Mettaton: No need to thank, darling, it's the least we'll do for you today.

Alphys: Um... Frisk... What did you want to tell us? Could you tell us now?

                Everyone began to stare at her. Awkwardly, Frisk thanked her and decided she should tell it at once, she took a deep breath before speaking, and holding a smile on her face.

Frisk: I want to thank you all, not for now, but from the very beginning we met, and the rest you already know. I'm really happy to have managed to create our organization that will protect and care for monsters, and ...

                She can’t hold happiness for long, then her expression fell, worrying some of them.

Frisk: I... I knew my uncles are going to move to the capital, and they asked me to go with them.

                After hearing this, everyone was scared to hear the news.

Alphys: Are you... going away?

Frisk: I don't know... that's why I want to hear from you. I came here because I had you by my side, I'm not asking you to come with me, I ... I don't know what I should do.

Undyne: You can stay with us if you want, punk.

Asgore: ... A moment, please.

                He asked permission to speak before everyone else asked more questions, and everyone began to look at him.

Asgore: Let's be honest, Frisk would not say that out of nowhere. Obviously she's saying that because being in the capital, she would have as much of our support as the government. In addition, she would complete her studies there and would be more likely to get a better education, she is aware of this and I believe she has already made her decision before talking to us.

Sans: ...So you had decided to go, isn’t it?

                Frisk just nodded, not looking at him. Everyone saw her decision and they were sad to see that she decided to leave.

Toriel: My child, we value your courage very much in telling us the truth. I imagine it wasn't easy for you, and I believe you are doing it for the good of all.

Frisk: ... I didn't want to leave you, but... I felt it would be selfish if I didn’t do anything.

Papyrus: Certainly there is no other person greater than the human... and the Great Papyrus, of course.

Alphys: We support you Frisk, we will do everything possible to continue on your side.

                After that they all hugged her, showing that they were beside her, and Frisk was relieved to see that they agreed with her decision. Gradually they were releasing from her.

Undyne: So since we are going to stay a long time without seeing you, how about training? I'm sure you'll miss my punches.

Alphys: It's true... What if something happens there? You won't have anyone to protect you.

Frisk: It's okay, I can defend myself.

Sans: Since I remember... Last time you needed help.

Frisk: You didn't have to stay behind me all the time.

Sans: Looks like someone forgot to say thank you.

                Frisk turned and crossed her arms, refusing to look at him in anger. Meanwhile Alphys laughed discreetly at the situation.

Papyrus: ... Shall we use our guardian powers?

Toriel: Oh... We can’t use them without necessity.

Undyne: But this is not without necessity, it is precisely to train. And so, human? What do you think about this?

Frisk: I have nothing against.

Mettaton: I'm also in the mood to dance a little with you. Somebody else?

Asgore: Maybe next time.

Sans: ...Nah.

Alphys: Well, we can go to my lab for you to train.

Frisk: Okay, thank you mom and dad, it was good to see you.

Toriel: Be careful, my child.

                Having said this, they bid farewell to Toriel and Asgore. Finally, Frisk, Undyne, Papyrus, and Mettaton left their home. Alphys took the four of them to his laboratory and Sans followed them there. Arriving at Alphys's house, they picked up an elevator and walked down one floor until they noticed an illuminated, computer-filled room. There was an empty fifty-square-foot room perfect for them to train. Alphys went to the control panel on the side of the room to tinker with several buttons while the others waited anxiously.

Alphys: Okay, who's the first?

Frisk: I suppose I should...

                She entered the room and waited for Alphys to finish tampering with the controls while the door closed. Frisk looked around and noticed some cameras positioned in the upper corners of the room. Suddenly, the room began to glow and turned into a big city setting. Frisk looked impressed at the simulated scenario and could not imagine what she was planning. Everyone looked through the computer screen at the scene where Frisk was and were impressed.

Undyne: Amazing! You did a great job.

                Alphys received her flattering compliment, and at the same time, she prepared the microphone and started talking to Frisk. Already she heard Alphys' voice through the loudspeakers.

Alphys: Frisk, this is a simulation scenario. You must defend yourself against as many attacks as possible, both physical and abilities. At first, the blows should be slow and over time they can hamper. If you want to stop, you have to surrender.

Frisk: Right...

                Meanwhile, Sans decided to get out of there and leaned back in a chair to doze off after his lunch. After hearing the rules, she saw some holograms materializing in human characters with black armor, typical of interpretation character. They were holding swords and spears and they stared at Frisk to attack her. And Frisk, seeing them standing there to attack her, took her badge and held it firmly in her chest.

Alphys: Now... transform!

Frisk: Power of light, guide me!

                An aura appeared around her and Frisk changed his robes, wearing his old guardian uniform. It had been a long time since she had turned a guardian and she felt nostalgic of fighting again. After transforming, the soldiers rushed towards her and Frisk concentrated on increasing his speed to easily deflect the blows.

Alphys: Don't use magic without needing it, you're still at the beginning and it will tire you faster.

Undyne: Come on, she doesn’t need cakewalk, have you forgotten she's determined? She needs is excitement.

Alphys: Erm... well... raising one level.

                Frisk saw the soldiers running, catching up faster. Frisk started to run faster too, gathering everyone and turned back, summoning spheres of light to strike them. Their shots went to the soldiers and they disappeared with the collision, making it stop. Undyne remained excited about this system, and the expression of anxiety on her face could be seen.

Undyne: Come on Alphys, harder!

Alphys: O-ok...

Undyne: MORE HARDER!

Alphys: Uh... Difficulty: Extreme.

                Frisk saw that more holograms had appeared and this time, as well as soldiers, there were several gigantic arcane giants, giant beasts and an Archangel. Frisk looked at her, startled. Was not it supposed to increase the difficulty a little at a time?

Frisk: That... it's too much, is not it?

Undyne: Come on nerd! If you were able to stop that flower, that's nothing!

Frisk: But that's overkill!

Alphys: D-don't worry… they all have an attack mechanic, if you deviate well, you can stop them.

Frisk: This is like RPG games so... I think I understood ...

                When everyone started to run to her, Alphys saw that her computer started to overheat and tried to abort the program. Alphys began to stir quickly at the distressed controls and Frisk saw the scene shake and the soldiers had their footsteps locked and the images frozen. Frisk seemed to understand the reason for this and out of nowhere, the scene disappeared, returning to be an illuminated room. Alphys sighed with relief, seeing that he had managed to resolve the situation, but Undyne was not satisfied, she looked at Alphys indignantly.

Undyne: What happened? Nah, it doesn’t matter. Can I challenge the human now?

Alphys: Y-yes...

                Without waiting a second, Undyne went to the room where Frisk was and she saw the door open. Frisk saw Undyne coming in the other side and she looked anxiously at Frisk. The door closed as she continued to stare at her.             


	4. Training

                 Inside the locked room were Undyne and Frisk staring each other. Meanwhile, Alphys, Mettaton and Papyrus were watching nervously, they knew that Undyne was a tough opponent to deal with. Sans continued to doze as if nothing had happened and at that moment, Undyne took her badge and became the Guardian of Bravery. The same feeling of fighting again made her euphoric and nostalgic. When she looked at Frisk, Undyne smiled and continued to stare at her.

Undyne: Ready? On guard!

Alphys: And... Start!

                 Undyne began by summoning her spears against Frisk from the top and pointing at her. The spears began to fall toward her and Frisk shifted backward, causing a cloud of dust as they hit the ground. Without seeing where Undyne was, Frisk heard the wind picking up the sound as she caught sight of the smoky curtain fading. Soon, she saw a shadow ahead of her, and Frisk managed to turn away when Undyne tried to hit her in the face. Then she stopped and turned to face Frisk, convinced.

Undyne: Congratulations, you're really serious, but ... Let's see if you can get away from this.

                 Undyne dropped her spear and jumped ahead of her at high speed, starting to punch multiple punches. Frisk had to dodge quickly using her high-speed magic to wander around on several sides, it was difficult for her. Alphys was worried to see that Undyne was getting really hard on her and when she stopped, Frisk jumped back and gasped.

Alphys: Undyne, please, take it easy.

Undyne: I can’t, she knows the enemy will never take it easy.

Frisk: ... It's okay, I'll make it.

Undyne: Now weapons!

                 Undyne summoned her larger spear and Frisk, her staff, turning into a large rod. Alphys looked back worriedly and saw that Sans was still asleep during their training. They both advanced again, and Undyne turned her spear against Frisk, Their weapons banged against each other repeatedly, and they both swerved unpredictably. Using the staff, Frisk began to remember when she blocked the movements of Asriel's swords and didn’t realize that Undyne was able to use the Frisk lock to her advantage. Surprisingly, she managed to take the staff from her hand, throwing it away. Her rod turned a staff again, and Frisk couldn’t get the staff in time, then Undyne pointed the spear at her as a sign of victory.

Undyne: You lose this time.

Frisk: ... I'm still not good enough.

Undyne: Don’t say that, you stood up and resisted to the end. Well, who's next?

                 Frisk went to get the staff back and made it disappear as she left the training room.

Papyrus: Incredible! You did as well as the Great Papyrus.

Mettaton: But Undyne really humiliated.

                 Frisk thanked them all and looked at Sans, surprised to see him sleeping during her training, making her angry.

Frisk: "If he had seen my fight, he wouldn’t say I need help."

                 The next rounds were against Papyrus and against Mettaton, both were certainly easier than Undyne, but Frisk saw great potential in Papyrus and knew that Undyne was not mistaken. Frisk managed to get away from them successfully and Mettaton demanded that Frisk perform with him as they battle, receiving applause from all but Sans. By now Frisk was already angry that he'd rather sleep. In the last round, Alphys had combined a more difficult challenge this time.

Alphys: The last round will be survival, Frisk must bypass all possible attacks she encounters.

Undyne: Are you sure you're up for it? This is going to be hard.

Frisk: Yes, I do.

                 Before beginning, Alphys turned around and saw Sans sleeping continuously. This time, she decided to poking to wake him up.

Alphys: Hey Sans ... Sans?

Papyrus: Let me handle this.

                 He approached with heavy footsteps and came close to him, Papyrus decided to scream to wake him. Sans eventually fell from his chair, startled at the cry of his brother.

Papyrus: SANS! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? The human is striving and you said you were going to watch.

Sans: Heh ... Sorry bro, the chair was good for a nap.

Papyrus: Incredible how you can be like that, even with so much noise you can sleep. Weren’t you a little worried about what might have happened?

Sans: With what? She said she didn’t need help.

Frisk: Now you have no more arguments against me.

                 Sans was surprised to hear her answer. After she avoided him all this time, that's how she'd treat him? He felt intimidated and would not let her win the argument.

Sans: You convinced me, I'm going to watch this time.

Alphys: Right, ready?

                 Sans sat down in the chair and began to watch patiently. Everyone stood back and this time, Frisk saw that he was watching and she became determined to tear his ego off, doing her best to prove she was not weak. Undyne and Papyrus positioned themselves at the front and Mettaton was left behind.

Alphys: Start!

                 Frisk summoned his staff and stood still while awaiting a synchronized attack of both. Undyne advanced against Frisk and distracted her with a punch, Frisk swerved aside and was surprised by a bone boomerang reaching for her from behind. She suddenly crouched down so as not to be hit and flipped sideways again, moving away from both. Papyrus managed to get the boomerang back and looked worriedly at her.

Papyrus: Hey Undyne, I do not think that's a good idea, that seems unfair to me.

Undyne: Yeah ... you're right, Alphys, do you mind if Mettaton joins her?

Alphys: If you like it ...

Mettaton: All right darling, let's rock them.

Sans: ... Wait a minute there, this is a team fight. Shouldn’t she defend herself against others?

Papyrus: But Sans ...

Frisk: It's okay, if he had seen the other fights, he would not talk so much.

Sans: What do you mean?

                 Frisk looked at him angrily this time and retorted what he had said. After he spent all this time sleeping, she had a reason to justify herself.

Frisk: If you had seen how I fought and defended myself this whole time, You would be sure that I don’t need anyone following me.

                 Everyone heard her in surprise and they turned afraid to see his answer . He let himself be carried away by his impatience and rose from the chair where he was, causing his pupils to disappear and an empty gaze remaining.

Sans: Heh... If you're so sure of that ... We'll do another one against one.

Alphys: ... What?

Sans: If you can defend yourself without your defender, let's see if you can defend yourself even from him.

                 Everyone looked at him in puzzlement as he addressed her with a defiant look. Frisk swallowed dryly and certainly didn’t want to have known that side of him. Besides, she knew how difficult it was to fight him since the last time.

Undyne: Are you crazy?

Papyrus: What are you going to do, brother?

Frisk: Right ... I'll take it.

                 Everyone was more surprised at her response. They knew that the last time, she had almost been killed when he had been possessed.

Undyne: Punk, you know what happened last time. Are you really ready to face him?

Sans: Hey, take it easy. If she is so confident, she won’t get hurt.

Frisk: I'll do my best, I promise.

                 She looked calmly at the three of them and, seeing that they could not change her mind, they left and Sans entered the room and stood in front of her, looking at her calmly. Frisk didn’t expect to fight who had protected her, and that made her uncomfortable and embarrassed. The four of them could only see them in the room, staring at them nervously.

Undyne: If you hurt her, you'll see me.

Alphys: ... Will you transform?

Sans: Won’t be necessary.

Alphys: Ok ... so, start.

                 This time Frisk would not let her be surrounded and defeated easily, she felt determined and positioned herself.

Frisk: "Alright, we've fought before. I know the right strategy for that. "

Sans: ... I guess you must be thinking about our last fight in judgment room. Well, I can use the same strategy I used to.

Frisk: You don’t have to make it easy for me.

Sans: I didn’t say I was going to ease it.

                 He summoned several bones around him that fired at her, and Frisk summoned from his staff several beams of light that struck the bones. Taking advantage of the smoke, she jumped back, straying from the next shower of bones approaching and she sensed a surprise attack coming from the floor. She jumped up and saw the bones coming off the floor. She landed behind the bones and stopped there, summoning more spheres of light hovering around her, but soon, the spheres were destroyed by the bones he fired again and she saw frightened.

Sans: ... You're not trying hard enough.

                 Annoyed at his provocation, she did not respond and thought of another way to defend herself better. The others looked worried, seeing that he was serious. Sans continued to watch her stop.

Sans: If you're tired, we can stop here.

Frisk: I thought you were always tired.

Sans: I've taken my nap today ... so we can improve that.

                 He summoned his Gaster Blasters and two of them fired a blinding laser at Frisk. She swerved to the side and again is surprised by bones fired in her direction.

                 Again, she used her magic of speed and this time, she began to feel exhausted. Sensing another danger nearby, she saw Sans teleport beside her to shoot another laser again. At that moment, she remembered when Sans was possessed, about to fire her cannon at her, and Frisk was static. She just turned to the side where the cannon light came from and she heard Undyne scream.

Undyne: WATCH OUT!

                 Sans slowed down and saw that she was paralyzed. He watched her scowled that she had not strayed and when the shot went out, he stopped the time and pushed her before being hit. As time went by, everyone saw the shot hit the room's barrier and it was neutralized by the attack, creating a curtain of intense smoke. Everyone tried to look where they were and the four of them noticed the two of them lying on the ground. Alphys opened the door and they immediately ran to them.

Undyne: WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HEAD? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER!

Alphys: That's enough for today.

                 Papyrus helped Sans to his feet, while Undyne and Alphys checked whether Frisk was okay.

Alphys: A-are you okay?

Frisk: Yeah ... I think I overdid it a little.

                 Sans saw her situation and blamed herself for making her fight, understanding that she had become static for having remembered when he cornered her to kill her while possessed.

Sans: I'm sorry, kiddo ...

                 Before Frisk intervened, he teleported himself away. After that, Frisk felt very sorry for what she had done, afraid he would not see her before she left.

Undyne: Let him, certainly was thinking about what he did.

Frisk: No ... It was my fault ... I shouldn’t have taunted him. After that, I don’t think he's going to see me leaving.

Papyrus: Don’t worry human. I won’t let you go without saying goodbye to everyone, he will see you.

Alphys: Why don’t you text him?

Frisk: Yes, I'll send one before bed.

                 It was already dark and Frisk was saying goodbye to everyone in the lab. She got home and picked up her cell phone, confirming that the departure would be the next morning. Everyone confirmed that they would see her before she left, except for Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii! Thanks for reading my fanfic, so what do you think of the story by now? Leave a comment if you like that surely I'll read. :3  
> See ya!


	5. Farewell

                Before bed, Frisk picked up her cell phone and checked out her last private conversation with Sans. His last message was his confirmation that he would appear at Toriel's house at her request. Frisk kept her conversation window open and thought for a moment before typing something for him. She wanted to apologize for treating him poorly today, but she didn’t know where to start. Without ideas, she was soon beginning to write and checking what she wrote.

Frisk: - Hello, are you there? - "... it is obvious he is."

                She erased the text and wrote another.

Frisk: - I know you're mad at me - "... forget it."

                Sulking to herself, she erased again and tried another phrase.

Frisk: - Do you want to talk about today?

                Seeing one last time what she wrote, Frisk lay down in bed indignantly and left the cell phone under the pillow, without sending the message, stopping in the text box. She soon covered her face in her pillow, discounting her frustration.

Frisk: ... Why am I so bad at starting conversations?

                She paused for a moment and thought again until she had some idea. She decided to pick up the cell phone again and erased what she had written earlier, writing another message.

Frisk: - I'm sorry for teasing you today, I know you always piss me off and don’t do it badly. Thank you for saving me before you tried to hit me, you keep worrying about me after all.

                She took a deep breath and with courage, she sent the message, waiting for some response. After a long time without receiving some, Frisk looked worried to his screen and after several minutes without reading anything new, she typed again.

Frisk: I hope to see you tomorrow.

                She wanted to believe that sending a message would work with him, but it wasn’t quite as she expected. Without receiving any answer, she left the cell phone on the table and looked at the bags that were almost ready; tomorrow would be a long day. After that she went to sleep, thinking about how she would say goodbye to everyone tomorrow and especially, how she would react by seeing Sans, that is, if Papyrus succeeds in persuading him, certainly he wouldn’t be able to leave him at home tomorrow before Sans sees her leave.

                The next day started early, she had to finish packing her bags and go down with them to the car. Behind, there was a pick-up truck picking the furniture and employees gradually emptied the house. Minutes later, when she finished drinking her coffee, she received a notification on her cell phone and there was a message telling her to come out. As soon as she finished, Frisk ran and opened the door, seeing Toriel, Asgore, Undyne, Alphys and Mettaton waiting for her. She immediately ran to hug them, starting with Toriel.

Toriel: My child, I'm going to miss you so much...

Frisk: I'll miss you too mom.

                Asgore was holding his cry when he saw Frisk hugging him for the last time and feared not to see her again.

Undyne: Hey nerd, how about a hug?

Alphys: … Undyne!

Undyne: Don’t worry, I won’t hurt this time.

                Frisk ran and hugged both Undyne and Alphys, this time she didn’t feel she was being bitten. Beside Alphys, Frisk saw Mettaton and she went to hug him too.

Mettaton: Darling, we won't see our star anymore.

Frisk: I'm not leaving forever, Tonton.

Mettaton: And I’m sorry fro Blooky, he was feeling like a trash to come here to say goodbye to you.

Frisk: You can tell him I'm going to miss him too.

Papyrus: … Hello human!

                Papyrus just arrived and when Frisk saw him, she ran to hug him with much enthusiasm. She will never forget the immense affection she has for Papyrus.

Papyrus: What would be me if I didn’t say goodbye to my best friend?

Frisk: I'll miss you Papy, and... where's Sans?

Papyrus: I said he would come.

                Frisk looked to the side where Papyrus showed and she saw that Sans was far from him, head down and not at all able to look at her. When she saw him, she felt her stomach wrap as she walked toward him. When she came close and hugged him, she blushed lightly and closed her eyes. It seemed like an eternity, but she stood there only for a few seconds as he received her, surprised.

Frisk: I'll miss you...

Sans: ... Heh, me too.

                For a brief moment Frisk didn’t want to let go, but instinctively they had to. After broke up, Frisk turned to see all her friends one last time. She wasn’t ready, but she was aware of her choice and then, she turned to look at the open car and her uncles were putting the last suitcases in the trunk while there were more suitcases tied up in the ceiling. As they got into the car, their uncles waved to all their friends, saying good-bye to them. When her uncle started the engine of the car, Frisk turned to see through the glass her friends looking at her, waving again. Frisk was holding on to not cry and waved back, saying she was going to miss them a lot.

                As the car began to walk, Frisk looked out the car window behind her until she saw her friends vanish from sight. She sat back and she could only look at the horizon, she didn’t know what was waiting for her from then on. She would travel for several hours and while in the capital, she will probably make several international trips, expanding the embassy to other places in the world.

                After seeing that the cars were out of sight, Toriel and Asgore sighed and left the place, walking to their house, depressingly. Sans continued looking at the view of the road and picked up his cell phone. He saw that Frisk had sent several messages last night and hadn’t answered her before. Surprised, Sans stared at her latest messages and he hoped she would have a good trip. He also hoped she would contact him soon, knowing he wouldn’t see her for a long time. After that, each one returned to their place.

                The trip occurred quietly and upon arriving in the capital, Frisk moved to a new home with her uncles. She also had to be transferred from school and continued depending on them, at least until she was adulthood. She met the businessman who had agreed to help her set up the embassy and he was appointed Minister Counselor. Under the law, Frisk couldn’t hold a public office being a minor unless there is a representative of age. Soon the entrepreneur was chosen to represent Frisk.

                Although, things started well but it was hard at first. There were many people protesting against the idea of monsters living near humans and so, the opposition was created. The protests lasted for the first six months of negotiations and even then, the government was willing to support the embassy and wouldn’t allow a wave of violence to begin. At the same time, Frisk felt increasingly pressured, but she was determined enough to do her job. At the new embassy, Frisk had in mind her friends and all the monsters that trusted her to persist in her new job, her determination held steady and she didn’t give up easily.

                Early in high school, with the lack of time that Frisk had been dedicating to the embassy, she couldn’t make new friends. Everyone was very busy and she didn’t have time to go out with anyone. Frisk was admired by some, but rejected by others, telling each other that she was alienated, and other adjectives that defined her to be different from the others. Even with so many problems around, Frisk didn’t see that there was some dark being threatening the city and it made her forget who she really was when she fought against evil; her friends, standing next to her and how she had the courage and determination to stop the dark-possessed monsters. Over time, the badge she kept in the closet was losing its glow until it was gone, making her forget about her guardian essence.

                In the village, where her friends were, during the first two years they kept memories of her wherever they went and tried to keep in touch with Frisk, but they understood that the hard work she had was important and so they didn’t want to distract her. Over time, the contact diminished until they realized that she had gone away in the same way when she left, making them forget their essence of being guardians.

                Things changed a lot when the third year came, Toriel was able to open her own school and had the help of Gerson, an elderly tortoise who took care of the children along with her. Alphys was working on several prototypes and offered to deploy arms to Monster Kid, already growned up boy. She also created a robot for Napstablook and he apparently was happy after getting into his new body, and even more Mettaton who could finally hug him.

                Papyrus had become a traffic cop and didn’t lose his innocent, friendly way of treating people. He followed the orders diligently and applied punishments to people who disobeyed any traffic law. Even though he received so much criticism, he held his ground and managed to cheer himself up. And finally, Sans started looking for another job after helping Grillby open the new bar until he totally paid off his debt.

                Seeing progress in that village and with the help of the embassy, the government allowed a university accessible to the monsters to be built in the village, giving access to higher education. The monsters had the right to have the desired training with the humans, and everyone, including their friends, was happy with the news, knowing that Frisk hadn’t forgotten them despite the little contact they had.

                And so three years passed, on Mount Ebbot, the Underground had been completely abandoned, but mysteriously, someone had connected the core. There were no ice blocks to cool the core's excess heat and over time the heat reached very high levels. During the night, the core was in hyperactivity and as a result, there was a big explosion, causing an earthquake on the surface. Everyone there woke up scared and ran out of their houses, the earthquake lasted ten minutes and several houses were cracked; narrowly, no one was injured. Alphys woke up scared when feeling the tremor and she went to investigate what happened in one of the computers in the laboratory. She turned on the cameras and in one of them; Alphys realized that on top of Mount Ebbot there was a lot of smoke coming out, like a volcano.

Alphys: ... Impossible! How did this happen?

                She thought of various theories as she analyzed the situation and knew that something had happened underground. But the only way to know what really happened is going there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the small chapter, I hope you're liking this story so far.


	6. Hopeless

                Alphys went to the Undergound the next day and was accompanied by Undyne as she offered to go along. They walked to Mount Ebbot and remembered the path they had taken years ago when they left the mountain. But when the girls got there, both were shocked to see the heap of ashes that spread through the entrance to the Underground. In the sky, a gigantic cloud of ashes and dust dominated it, capping the sunlight.

Undyne: What the hell ... There's ashes out here!

Alphys: We should be careful, watch out if anyone shows up ... P-please.

Undyne: Right ... Leave it with me.

                Alphys wasn’t accustomed to give orders, especially with Undyne beside her, however, she saw that Undyne didn’t seem to care if it was Alphys. As they entered, Undyne summoned a spear and kept her guard position as she walked, looking around. Meanwhile, Alphys continued walking and examining the ashes scattered on the floor. When they reached the throne room, they looked startled at the scene ahead; the flowers in the garden were gone and there were more grays and scattered metal in the place. There was very little light on the spot, causing Undyne's fluorescent lance to emit its own brilliance. They also noticed that there were vines and roots burned by pieces of metal and heat. This place had been completely abandoned since Asgore left the throne room. Alphys immediately took one of these metals and realized it was hot, making her even tenser.

Undyne: What is it?

Alphys: I-I ... don’t understand ... When I left, I turned off the power generator ... The core should have been turned off.

Undyne: Did someone turn it on again? Who?

Alphys: Impossible ... Only I can turn on the generator.

                Hearing this, Undyne had a bad feeling. She gripped her spear tightly and glared around, anticipating someone to be there. Walking a little farther out of the old capital, Alphys saw the state of the nucleus and in fact, it was all destroyed. It could spot oil stains and a strange liquid coming out of the metal slits. It was very hot in the place and Undyne was sweating a lot, even without her armor. But when she saw that strange liquid coming out of the pieces of metal, Undyne was curious to know what it was, but Alphys intervened before.

Undyne: What is it?

Alphys: No Undyne!

                Alphys took her by the arm and Undyne turned scared, not understanding this sudden reaction. Undyne could tell that she looked very tense and pale as she didn’t dare look at her.

Undyne: ... What?

Alphys: I ... I think ... we should leave now.

Undyne: Hey, wait a minute, I wanna take a look.

Alphys: ... No... no...

                Undyne had come even closer to the wreckage of the nucleus and stopped when she heard a strange, scary noise from within, making her have chills. She pointed the spear at the wreckage of the core and waited for someone to appear. He emitted a sound she had never heard before. Alphys was trembling with agony and began to pull her arm.

Undyne: Who's there? SHOW UP!

Alphys: Undyne, let's go now!

                At the bottom of the wreckage they saw someone creeping through it. Undyne thought it was some goblin type monster, but instead of that, she saw a bizarre monster, its body was deformed and melted as it crawled. This monster had several faces of other monsters together. Undyne became agonized to see him and began to run, taking Alphys along. She ran as if there was an avalanche behind her and as they left Mount Ebbot, they were able to rest. Undyne was shocked by what she saw and Alphys couldn’t look at her anymore, shaking.

Undyne: But what bizarre monster was that? I've never seen anything like that my entire life, how did those monsters stop there?

Alphys: Undyne... please don’t tell anyone about it.

Undyne: Alphys... Do you know anything about?

Alphys: ... No, I... I'll figure this out... I... I need some time.

Undyne: Hey, do you want me to take you home?

Alphys: … I can go alone.

                Undyne watched her walk away without looking back. She stayed confused to see such an attitude coming from Alphys, she left without even thanking her help. Meanwhile, Alphys went to her house and locked herself in her laboratory, agonized. Undyne almost discovered and when Alphys realized these monsters were there and that everyone could discover everything, she began to tremble and weep.

Alphys: ... What do I do now? I haven’t told anyone about this before ...

                That same night, at the skeleton brothers' house, Papyrus was taking advantage of his day off to cook different kinds of food he had learned on the surface, he was interested in learning how to cook many kinds of pasta as he was watching his favorite cooking show. Then someone unlocked the door and Papyrus turned to see a taller skeleton, wearing casual clothes and holding an envelope in his hand, showing his usual smile. Papyrus greeted him as usual when he saw the skeleton arrive.

Papyrus: Sans! Come see my new specialty.

Sans: Heya bro. Doing something edible?

Papyrus: Joker you... I'm learning how to make lasagne; I heard that humans love it.

Sans: Well, then I’ll go to sleep, let me know when it’s ready.

Papyrus: Hey! And how it was today? Did you get the job?

Sans: ... It seems the experiment Alphys did made me less intimidating to the interviewers.

Papyrus: SANS!

Sans: Hehe... Kidding. I said I know quantum physics, after doing several tests they said I can teach.

Papyrus: Wowie! I'm so glad you got a job, I knew you could do it.

                Papyrus didn’t resist and hugged his brother cheerfully. This time, he no longer had to lower himself to embrace him than before, even thinking he was accustomed to see his shorter brother. For Sans, receiving that hug from his brother was new and he wasn’t sure how to react.

Sans: Well... I have to keep my contract.

Papyrus: All Right.

                Papyrus soon released him and returned to the kitchen cheerfully, while Sans headed to his room. He put away the papers he received from the university and took off his shoes, lying down on his bed and sleeping fast. While sleeping, he began to dream that he was in another dimension. It was a deserted plain, low grass and very few trees, surrounded by hills, he got up and didn’t understand why he was there, suddenly a fog appeared and behind him appeared black creatures with bright eyes, like the monsters possessed in the Undergound, they stared and slowly approached him.

                Sans stood still, staring at the monsters ahead. Then one of them turned into a wolf, running toward him. Sans activated his left eye and summoned bones from the ground, but the wolf easily crossed his bones and attacked him, pushing him back. Outraged, he stood up and held out his hand to control the wolf's soul. Unsuccessfully, the wolf continued to approach him slowly, snarling. Sans also noticed that he was surrounded by several hungry black wolves. He tried again to use his magic and seeing that it didn’t work, he continued to stare at them with desperation.

                From there, a light rose from the top of a hill, catching the attention of all of them. Its brightness increased gradually and the wolves felt scarred by the light, running from the place and disappearing in the fog. Sans looked at that light and noticed there was someone there. The glow rose from their chest and he could see their hair moving with the wind. Sans couldn’t identify who the person was, then, the glow expanded so much that he ended waking up, hearing his name. Papyrus was calling him several times as he knocked on the door.

Papyrus: Sans! Are you there?

                Thinking of his dream and who that person was, he sat on the bed and remembered the dinner. When he opened the door of his room, Papyrus was on the other side.

Papyrus: Undyne called us to say something important, get ready soon.

Sans: About what?

Papyrus: Did you forget? She and Alphys came back from the Undergound after the earthquake, I think they found something.

Sans: Okay.

                As Papyrus left the hall, he returned to his room and went to take his usual coat. Even he had grown up, he liked to use it. For a short time, Sans though again about what happenned, the earthquake really caught his eye. After they noticed a smoke coming out of it, he felt that the evil had returned stronger. In addition to the coat, he looked at his badge and without question, he picked it up and became ready to left the house with Papyrus.

                Far away, near Mount Ebbot, several of those bizarre monsters came out of the nucleus, crawling to the underground exit in a row. When they reached the top of the mountain, leaving the exit, they saw the view of the village and exclaimed in surprise. There were four monsters that were there, along with someone behind them. He led them to the exit and was giving orders to them.

?: … Look what awaits you, my creatures. Go there and meet your friends again.

                The monsters listened to him and left anxiously, going to the village. They crawled on the ground and left their trail of liquid on the ground. Meanwhile he watched them as he clasped the fingers of his hands.

?: ... Your experiences may have been flawed, but ... I'm close to getting what I've been looking for my whole life... Soon… I'll have the artifact.

                He smirked and disappeared like a ghost, leaving the monsters to walk there. Meanwhile, Undyne had scheduled a meeting at Toriel's house and called all the guardians and the scientist. Alphys didn’t answer her and Mettaton couldn’t either appear, he was traveling on a tour and would try to return as soon as possible. And without knowing where Asgore was, Undyne only could count with Toriel, Papyrus and Sans. Before she told them what she had seen, Undyne sighed deeply.

Undyne: I need to say what we found there, and what we saw is not good.

Papyrus: What did you find out?

Undyne: When we got there, the exit was full of scattered ashes. There were a lot of them inside the throne room. And we also saw that there were pieces of metal everywhere, still warm. When we went to see the core ... It was destroyed.

Toriel: But how? Alphys didn’t turn off the generator?

Undyne: She told me she did it, but ... it looks like someone's behind this.

Toriel: Then everything will return... The darkness will...

Papyrus: … Wait! The human said she'll come back! Just wait, when she finds out...

Undyne: Papyrus, I don’t think...

Sans: ... You're right, bro, I believe you too.

Papyrus: See? Even my little brother believes!

                Even though he had given his brother a reason, Sans wasn’t confident in the same way, but he didn’t want to leave Papyrus disappointed. Meanwhile, Undyne and Toriel looked at both of them, discredited. Toriel was sad to remember her departure, but seeing his belief, she wanted to believe that Frisk would return, then, Toriel looked at Undyne firmly.

Toriel: Undyne ... I know it's not easy, but... We have to hope for her, we can only count on her to help us all.

                Undyne didn’t believe what she heard; she couldn’t believe that Frisk would come back, not after having abandoned all the contact they had between them. She looked down reluctantly and closed her fist.

Undyne: ... How can you ... she's gone had three years, she made her choice...

Toriel: She did it for our good!

Undyne: I DON’T BELIEVE ANYMORE!

                Undyne had said fiercely and slammed her fist on the table, causing everyone in the room to be paralyzed, looking startled. After that, Undyne left the house without speaking. She was unhappy, seeing them with hope made her feel angry at herself and she didn’t want to show her weakness in front of everyone. Gradually she felt her soul fall apart, hopeless, she was still worried about Alphys and wondered if she would ever talk to her again. Undyne only could wonder if she'd done something wrong that upset her.

                A few minutes later, as she walked swallowed in her thoughts, Undyne heard a scream from a woman nearby and turned scared as the cry came. She ran up at the direction of the sound and she heard several screams, accompanied by a bizarre and scary sound nearby.

Undyne: Damn, don’t tell me that...

                Upon closer inspection, Undyne saw people blocking the path and after much pushing, she managed to enter the house and then, Undyne saw a woman surrounded on the wall, staring frightened the monster ahead. It was one of those monsters that Undyne had seen underground, she could also smell a strong lemon scent coming from his presence. The monster soon saw that someone else had come in, looking at the door where Undyne was.

Undyne: DON’T APPROACH HER!

                She glared at him and took out her badge that was in her hand, lifting it up and proclaiming it aloud.

Undyne: Power of light, guide me!

                The badge flashed again and she felt a surge of energy fill it, but this time, its brilliance didn’t make her transform and the energy of the emblem quickly dissipated. Undyne looked at her badge, tense and confused, not understanding why this had happened. She then decided to summon her spear to fight him.

Undyne: "What happened? Why can’t I transform? "

                She kept staring at the bizarre monster as he began to crawl across the floor, grinning at her. Undyne made everyone back off the house until they both left the house. Everyone was staring at them, scared.

Undyne: Come and fight me!

                She stepped forward and used her spear to make a cut on him. After that, he reached out his fist and hit her with a blow, pushing her. Undyne dropped back and saw that the cut on his chest had closed.

Undyne: ... What?

                The monster opened its jaws and roared at her, making everyone left the place, screaming again. Undyne stared at him furiously with the spear in her hand as he rose to attack him again; she wouldn’t give up and would defeat him even without transforming.


	7. Return

                Meanwhile, Papyrus and Sans left Toriel’s house and she stood in front of the door to say goodbye to them, but something caught their attention. They were startled to hear someone screaming from a distance; quickly Toriel rushed inside to get a coat while the two brothers went to the place where the cry came. They saw several people fleeing a house and the screams were still high. They ran until they reached the house and saw two children surrounded by the wall, looking horrified at a monster who was watching them closely. Papyrus and Sans looked at that monster, terrified, he was tall and thin and there was a big eye on his head.

Papyrus: Sans? ... Who’s that guy?

Sans: I don’t know ... I've never seen one of them...

                The monster turned at the sound of their voices and then, he noticed the two skeletons on the door of the house. Papyrus began to sweat cold with fear, without idea what they could do. The monster stopped paying attention to the two children and decided to approach them, interested. Seeing that monster focused their attention on them, the two brothers began to retreat from the house. Meanwhile, the people watching the situation outside moved further apart when they saw them retreat. The monster didn’t stop following them and he began to emit strange voices, making them stop walking.

Papyrus: Why is he talking like this? Can’t understand what he says...

Sans: He’s trying to say he’s FINE…

                The monster stopped talking and Papyrus looked at his brother, stunned by his pun as Sans smiled triumphantly.

Papyrus: ... SANS! It's not time for your jokes!

Sans: Hehe, I couldn’t miss this one.

Papyrus: ARGH ... Unbelievable! You haven’t changed the last few years. Can’t you see we have a ... Thing to defeat? Let's transform!

                Papyrus eagerly took up his emblem and held it up. Sans only watched him take the initiative.

Papyrus: Power of light, guide me!

                The magic within the emblem emitted an intense light, but that light soon dissipated and the energy quickly died out. Papyrus and Sans looked perplexed at the extended badge, seeing that it hadn’t worked.

Papyrus: Nyeh? Is this defective?

Sans: ... We'll need to attack him.

Papyrus: Don’t worry Sans! The Great Papyrus will find a way.

                Papyrus summoned his two bones and ran to hit him. He soon jumped as he neared the monster and made his two bones cut the monster in half as if they were swords. Papyrus soon jumped back, pleased to have defeated that monster and suddenly they both saw the monster's body join the cut again, as if it hadn’t received any damage.

Papyrus: Did he... heal himself?

                Seeing that situation, Sans invoked a bone barrier to isolate him from the area. The monster saw the bone barrier and began to melt, easily crossing the gaps in the wall of bones and surprising them even more.

Papyrus: Sans ... What should we do?

                Papyrus helped him by invoking yet another wall of bones to stop him, even though he knew it was insufficient and this monster would easily cross it. They had to think of something, and fast, before this monster scares more people.

Papyrus: The human has to come back soon... We can’t do anything without her...

                When hearing that, Sans remembered Undyne's words. Seeing that Frisk had no contact with anyone else, he began to doubt that she would return and began to feel the same way as Undyne. Suddenly, Sans had his thoughts interrupted at another scary noise from afar.

Papyrus: ... Who's there?

                They heard more sounds that seemed distorted beats. Soon, they noticed another monster approaching, walking awkwardly. It was a dog-shaped, faceless monster with six legs. Several cats could be seen cast in his body. He approached the bone barrier and began to shake, licking oddly that bone barrier. They saw it, perplexed and sweating cold.

Papyrus: SANS! There's another one of them!

Sans: Nah ... It's just a puppy.

Papyrus: HOW "JUST A PUPPY"?

Sans: They don’t attack while they eat.

Papyrus: HE'S EATING OUR BONES!

                Far away, Toriel left the house and tried to reach the brothers whens she saw another monster walking slowly. It was a snow bird with several faces on its head. Toriel looked horrified to see that bird and the monster stopped, turning to see Toriel with a depressed countenance. As she stared at that bizarre being, Toriel began to feel cold and immediately, she created flames of fire to control the cold around.

                The monster was disturbed by the heat radiating from her and invoked a blizzard. The fireballs that were around her were extinguished in the icy wind, and Toriel couldn’t stop the blizzard. She tried to protect herself and gradually she began to freeze. Toriel felt her feet and limbs immobile as she went into despair. Not being able to move, she begged for help and at that moment, she heard a voice from far away and someone appeared quickly. Several fireballs sprang up to contain the monster and melt the ice that had trapped her. Toriel lost her temper as she felt herself being held by a larger arm supporting her. She turned to see who had held her, and she recognized him, perplexed.

Asgore: ... Are you okay?

Toriel: Asgore!

Asgore: We came back as soon as we knew.

Toriel: ... What?

                After seeing him, they saw that the monster began to feel agonized and looked down, squeaking. Toriel and Asgore turned to see something that caught their attention. Above a hill, far from the village, an intense glow appeared as if it were the clearest star in the middle of the night. They stopped to look at her in surprise. At the same moment, the emblems of all began to shine, recognizing that light that came from afar. Everyone, both monsters and humans in the village, looked where the light came from and saw that there was someone there.

Undyne: ... What light is that?

Papyrus: Wowie! Has the human come back?

Sans: ... Kiddo?

                Those monsters felt agonized when they saw that light and they decided to move away, leaving the village and hiding in the forest. After a while, that light began to fade and the person disappeared from sight. Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans ran to where that light had appeared and in the middle of the road, everyone had met at the same time, seeing Toriel looking at that mountain.

Undyne: ... Did you see that?

Papyrus: It was the human! I knew she was coming back.

Toriel: ... It's true.

                They turned to see her and Toriel was admiring the hill with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, this surprised them.

Undyne: Did you see anything?

Toriel: Asgore came back and he went to where she was...

                Hearing this, Sans realized that his dream was indeed a vision. He felt curious to know what motivated her to return, even because of the news, how did she get back with so much work in the capital? The four of them walked to Toriel's house again and as they entered, they saw Asgore inside. He turned and smiled at them, glad he got back on time.

Asgore: Good evening. It's good to see you all back.

Undyne: Hey Asgore, you mean all this time you went to see the human?

Asgore: Yes... I didn’t want you to know before.

Papyrus: And where is she?

Asgore: She's resting for now. She really ran out after today.

Sans: So that light... Was it herself?

Asgore: Yes. Even I was surprised and I don’t know how she got it, we will only know when she tells us.

Undyne: I can’t wait to see her again, I remember her as a child yet.

Asgore: I can tell she's grown up already.

                Suddenly everyone heard a cell phone ring and Undyne picked up her cell phone. When she saw who was calling, she made a disgusted face at the cell phone screen.

Undyne: ... Why is Mettaton calling me?

                She answered and put it on loud for everyone to hear what he had to say, on the other side of the line, they only heard shouts.

Mettaton: DARLIIING! DID YOU SEE? It's booming on the internet! The most fabulous news of the moment: a star appeared on the hill of the village. Do you know what that means? I'm sure the human has come back to us! What do you think?

Undyne: If you knew what we were going through, you wouldn’t be celebrating.

Mettaton: Wait... Is anyone else listening?

                At that time, everyone greeted Mettaton on the other end of the line.

Mettaton: OH MY GOD! Is the human there?

Asgore: She went to sleep, no one has seen her yet.

Mettaton: I'll come back early to see her in the morning, wait for me.

Asgore: Right, we'll be waiting for you.

Mettaton: I can’t wait to see my girl again! Goodnight, darlings, Mettaton comes back soon.

                After hanging up, Undyne put the cell phone back in her pocket and they all focused on Asgore.

Undyne: And how could you persuade the human to return?

Asgore: Well, there was a time that Frisk wanted to get back. I talked to her uncles and they told me when she made her last birthday, they allowed her to come back, but she still had to finish her studies. Even so, after she finished, we had some problems with her partner and it took longer than expected. And when we heard the news, I saw that she tried to transform, but… unfortunately she couldn’t, that disappointed her a lot.

Undyne: When I was facing one of them, I also couldn’t transform myself.

Papyrus: ... Neither I...

Asgore: I see ... I believe it was the distance that weakened our union. Theoretically, she should never have separated from us.

Toriel: Thinking that if it wasn’t for her, we would never have gotten what we have. No one thought that would happen.

Asgore: But now we're back. Let's rebuild the bond we had and merge again.

Undyne: And find out who's behind it.

Asgore: Oh... And Alphys, is she okay?

                Undyne didn’t expect Asgore to ask for Alphys. When she heard her name, Undyne looked awkwardly and put her hand behind her head.

Undyne: She ... Yeah, she's fine, working hard as ever.

Asgore: Well, I hope to see her soon.

                Asgore was glad to know that Alphys was well, but Undyne felt some remorse about what happened today, she was indeed very worried about Alphys and wanted to know how she really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From there, I'll post the retrospective of Frisk's return, it should last 3 chapters before the story continue from there.  
> Hope you like it! :)


	8. Retrospective

                A day before, in the capital, Frisk was asleep in her room when she heard her alarm ring. The clock beeped when it was six in the morning and Frisk turned to see her alarm clock, turning it off.

Frisk: “Another day at work...”

                She only heard a great silence inside the house; she only could listen to some cars passing by the street outside. She was alone in that apartment and didn’t care to live like that. Frisk had moved from her uncles a month ago when they decided to move again. This time they saw that Frisk could take care of herself and from that moment on, she became independent.

                After using the bathroom, she went to her closet to pick out what to wear when she flipped over her old clothes that no longer fit her anymore. In fact, she was eighteen, and she had grown quite a bit. But she remembered how much she longed to talk to her friends. She wondered how everyone was and how their lives had been going all this time. After so much traveling out, Frisk no longer kept in touch with them, however, with the college's opening, it was the perfect chance to see them again and to know how they were.

                Frisk felt determined and eager to be released from the hard work that would bear fruits. She could hardly imagine their reaction to seeing her grown up and being able to tell everything that had happened in the capital and the embassy. As much as things were going well, she was called at all times to go to a meeting or solve a problem and so she didn’t have time to talk to them.

                At lunchtime, she was in the lunchroom when a man in social clothing approached her to greet her, was the partner she had hired to help her.

Partner: Hi Frisk, how's business?

Frisk: Hello. The college building was ready and everything is ready for the inauguration, I just have to do some things before I finish today.

                She was so hopeful she could finish her job that she barely noticed her partner's reaction, he seemed to be up to something.

Partner: Right, but... I received a last minute request for someone to go to a meeting with the ministry. The headmistress can’t come tomorrow ... so could you go there?

Frisk: But... What about the opening trip? I was supposed to be there!

Partner: Someone will go in your place and I assure you that it is a great substitute.

Frisk: ... Okay.

Partner: That's it, I'm counting on you.

                He put his hand under her shoulder and left, leaving Frisk sitting at her desk, astonished. The trip was tomorrow and Frisk couldn’t believe it, once again she had her plan taken over by another compromise. It wasn’t the first time he'd done this and she was distrusting him more every day, but she felt that she couldn’t argue with him. It wasn’t the same as arguing with someone on the same level as hers, he had great influence at the embassy and that left her at the base of the pedestal, unable to speak.

                When evening came, Frisk finished her work and returned home thinking about how her plan had been ruined. She didn’t want to blame her partner for this, but she already had several opportunities in which she couldn’t go because of one meeting or another, told by the partner himself. As she approached the apartment where she was, Frisk saw someone sitting near her apartment. He looked at her serenely and Frisk recognized that smile and his face in surprise. Asgore was outside and she was thrilled to see him, running up and hugging him.

Frisk: Father! ... What are you doing here?

Asgore: I came to visit you, young lady! Everyone is missing you.

                She invited him into her home and Asgore collected his suitcase, walking into her apartment. Frisk went to the kitchen and didn’t believe that Asgore had come to visit her, she was both puzzled and at the same time thrilled to see him. Meanwhile, Asgore looked around and saw a simple decoration by the house, there was a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Enchanted with the simplicity, he went to sit in an armchair and set his suitcases aside, looking at Frisk while she was in the kitchen making tea.

Asgore: And how was work today?

Frisk: Tiring… Today I had prepared the documents for the university's inauguration tomorrow.

Asgore: And you're going to the inauguration?

Frisk: ... No. I'm going to have a meeting with the ministry tomorrow and that's why they sent a replacement.

Asgore: ... I see. It's a pity.

                After that, there was a thoughtful silence and Frisk finished making the tea, delivering a cup to Asgore. Frisk sat down at her table with her tea and they both began to drink peacefully. Asgore went there to search for news and he wanted to know how she was, and seeing that her work still existed, he wanted to know if she wanted to go home now that she lives alone.

Asgore: ... And you plan to go to college?

Frisk: I haven’t decided yet.

Asgore: Well ... I guess the monster's college should let humans study there ... So if you want to study from our side, that would be great.

Frisk: ... I don’t know if I should get out of here.

                She didn’t want to look at him, something inside her bothered a lot to hear what he was saying, but she couldn’t deny her desire to go home and see all her friends again. Asgore decided to be more reluctant.

Asgore: I see... Even if you enjoy your work, did you think about taking time? Your partner can arrange a replacement for you, right?

Frisk: ... Yes, but ... Replacing myself in an important job isn’t the same thing ... I'm always called to do important jobs.

Asgore: And you thought to call someone for you training?

Frisk: This is going to take a long time. Besides, my partner probably won’t like it.

Asgore: You are an adult now... You can decide this on your own and he can’t hold you here forever. And if you need, know that I can help you with that.

Frisk: I know...

                Again there was a disturbing silence. As much as he wanted to persuade her to return, Asgore didn’t want to pressure her, hoping she would decide for herself. He thought she wanted to know about her friends so Asgore changed the subject.

Asgore: ... Your mother is fine, taking good care of her school and the students. I admire seeing her so happy with her work. From time to time I go over to take care of the school garden and Undyne also goes there to take care of the children. They love Undyne. And Papyrus, Sans and Alphys are fine too ... Working, as always...

Frisk: That's good...

Asgore: ... Do you miss them?

                When she heard the question, she smiled shyly, feeling a little guilty for not being able to see them.

Frisk: Yeah, but I didn’t have time to talk to them ... I guess they've already forgotten me.

Asgore: ... Why do you say that? You set us free; of course we would never forget you.

                She didn’t answer him, looking at her empty cup. Asgore only wondered what she was thinking. Whatever it was, Asgore had to help her out of it. Suddenly he saw Frisk rise and she looked at him.

Frisk: Need anything else? I don’t have a spare room and no other bed, so...

Asgore: Don’t worry Frisk, I can stay on the couch.

Frisk: Alright... I'm going to my room, good night.

                After saying this, she took the cups to the kitchen and went to her room to stay there. Frisk closed her door after entering her room, sat on her bed and wondered what had happened. Today was a “great” day; even not being able to go to the inauguration, Asgore appeared in the capital to see her. As much as she wanted to get out of her job, she felt insecure to leave it and it plagued her. All of her colleagues were counting on her, and Frisk felt increasingly pressured by them all, and at the same time, she was distressed that she could no longer see her friends.

                She soon looked at a box that was on top of the closet and remembered that her badge was there, kept in it. She really missed the old days and for a moment, she wished something would happen so that she would fight again with her friends than she had before. Soon, she caugh up herself what had thought and Frisk shook her head. She knew that wanting things like that wasn’t a good idea, especially since she didn’t know what kind of badness might come. After that, Frisk put on her pajamas and went to sleep.

                Within her dream, she found herself walking into the village where she was and saw the monsters and humans getting along with each other, talking and laughing until the night came. Frisk kept walking quietly when she felt a tremor beneath her feet until it became an earthquake. She fell and clung to the floor, startled. Suddenly she heard a roaring noise from above and saw Mount Ebbot casting ashes across the sky. Frisk looked stunned at the mountain; it had turned to a volcano in activity. Frisk could only hear screams and then, she saw a rush through the city. Suddenly the ashes invaded the entire place, spreading through to reach Frisk; she covered her eyes to protect herself and then, when she opened them, the scene was gone and she saw someone from a distance looking at her with an evil smile, disappearing into the darkness. That look stuck in her mind in such a way that it made her wake up scared.

                It was still night when Frisk got up from the bed, tense with what she had just dreamed of. She knew that it was impossible for Mount Ebbot to have turned into a volcano, would that be some kind of vision? Frisk started to feel uneasy and then decided to leave the room and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she walked, she heard Asgore talking on her cell phone, he looked very worried.

Asgore: ... And you guys are okay? ... Nobody is hurt?

                She walked silently to the kitchen and filled a glass with water as she heard Asgore talking.

Asgore: ... Frisk? Yes... She's fine ... I'll do my best to come back tomorrow, don’t worry... Good night, Tori.

                He hung up his cell phone and looked very nervous, sweating coldly and putting his hand behind his head. He went to the kitchen when he saw Frisk holding a glass of water, he was startled to see her there.

Frisk: ... What happened?

Asgore: No... It was nothing Frisk, it's okay... Tori called me asking how things are, and...

                She didn’t seem convinced by his words, she saw his horror face as he spoke on the phone, but she didn’t know what to say at that moment, her dream still was stuck in her mind. Asgore looked at her and decided to change the subject.

Asgore: ... And you? Did you have a nightmare?

Frisk: ... Well, I...

                She kept stirring in the glass, uneasy. Her dream really intrigued her and she feared that this could be real, because her dream seemed a lot. She looked at Asgore, worried about what she was feeling.

Frisk: I dreamed ... That there was an earthquake in the village... And I saw a volcano erupting, the ashes flew across the sky and spread through the village... I haven’t dreamed such things for a long time.

                Asgore looked puzzled, he could no longer hide the fear in his face and seeing his reaction, Frisk realized that something had certainly happened. He bowed his head, regretting to have hidden what had happened, while she looked at him, startled.

Frisk: ... That... Did it really happen?

Asgore: ... I'm sorry Frisk, I don’t want you to feel obligated to return. I know it was alarming news, but I suggest you go and rest; tomorrow we'll look forward it better.

Frisk: ... Alright ... I'm going back to sleep.

Asgore: Rest well.

                Asgore gave an exhausted smile as Frisk went to her room. That time, Frisk began to despair, wondering if everyone was fine. She had never felt so divided as now, internally she knew she had to come back not just to see her friends, but she was sensing that evil had even returned.

Frisk: "Mother, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Mettaton... Are they all fine?"

                The thoughts of the job were scared away and she kept thinking about them, wondering if anything had happened. Upon arriving her room and closing the door, Frisk immediately looked again at that box on top of the closet and without a second thought, she picked it up and opened it. She saw the emblem there, intact just as before. Seeing that badge, she remembered when she was a guardian and how determined she was to stop the evil. Along with her friends, she found the strength to extinguish the darkness of the Underground and to free all the monsters. When Frisk took the badge, she admired it for a few seconds and then, she closed her eyes, focusing on her willpower. She wanted to feel her essence again, the determination. Then she lifted the badge high and spoke out loud.

Frisk: Power of light, guide me!

                The emblem shone only for a few seconds, the energy that was focused on the emblem quickly dissipated and it faded, not making her transform. Seeing this, Frisk was puzzled, not understanding what had happened.

Frisk: But... What happened? Why can’t I transform anymore...?

                With the badge in her hand, Frisk sat on her bed and began to question, tense. Had she forgotten who she was? Had she lost her resolve and her friendship with them? Immediately Frisk thought of the good times she had been with her friends. Even after she made her decision to leave the village, they supported her. There was nothing in her mind but that; that was the answer she found. Frisk looked at her feet, disconsolate and unmotivated.

Frisk: It's because I left them ... isn’t it?

                She started blaming herself again for leaving her friends, letting her badge fall. Frisk lay down and flinched in her bed, frustrated. Things changed and she wasn’t ready to fight the darkness again. By the way, without her powers, was she still destined to fight evil? And if it's true ... Would they want to come back to help her? Or would she have to turn to fight alone if they don’t want to? Her determination dropped at that moment and she didn’t know what else to do.

                Asgore was on the other side of the door and heard everything. Hearing what Frisk had said, he was distressed, she could no longer transform and that was a big problem. Then, he left the bedroom door and went into the living room. Inside his pocket was his guarded badge; Asgore took it inside his pocket and looked at it, realizing that the amulet was matte. He sighed and held it back, going to sleep on the couch, gloomily.


	9. Reunion

                The next day, Frisk had woken up early and had settled for another day's work. When she finished dressing up, she went to the kitchen to make coffee when she saw Asgore packing his bags. For a moment, Frisk had forgotten she had visits.

Asgore: Good morning, Frisk.

Frisk: Good morning ...

                Hearing her response, Asgore looked at her for a moment and saw her acting normally, making him strange. Through her reaction, he hoped that Frisk coincidentally had only a good night's sleep. Then he approached the table and sat down in the chair, watching Frisk bringing in two cups of coffee.

Asgore: Did you sleep well?

Frisk: Yes, thank you. I have to work today, I'm sorry I can’t stay...

Asgore: All right, young lady. We still have until tomorrow to talk about your plans for the future.

                Speaking this, he noticed that Frisk bowed his head, putting her cup on the table and hiding her hands. Frisk immediately remembered the conversation she had heard from him, telling him that he would do his best to return to the village tomorrow, did he want to take her along? He hadn’t said anything. Asgore began to feel worried to see her reaction.

Asgore: ... Are you okay?

Frisk: Yes... I remembered that today I have a boring job to do...

Asgore: I see...

                There was an uneasy silence; Asgore felt he should persuade her at that moment, but seeing her in that state made him uneasy. Before traveling to the capital, Toriel and Asgore talked earnestly and she urged him to go to the capital, not because Frisk was living alone, Toriel relied too much on her intuition and felt that something horrible would come if Frisk decided not to return. Despite this, her persuasion was the biggest factor in getting him to travel, making Asgore promise that he would return with Frisk. He clenched his fists, shaking with fear, as he looked at his coffee cup and looked at her quickly again to be able to convince her.

Asgore: And... about yesterday's conversation... Did you think about taking a day off?

Frisk: ... I can’t...

                She was reluctant from there, refusing any help coming from him to get off work and leave. Frisk thought she didn’t need it any more, that her real purpose was gone.

Asgore: I thought I wanted to see your friends again... They miss you, you know...

Frisk: I can’t... I'm not who I am anymore...

Asgore: What do you mean by that?

                She was doing her best to maintain her composure, but she couldn’t deal with it any longer, to know that she was no longer a guardian made her worse, to have abandoned her friends had been a mistake.

Frisk: ... I'm not a guardian anymore.

                Asgore looked at her in alarm, expecting to hear it. He let her talk, hoping to offer his support to her after she'd finished venting about yesterday. Meanwhile, Frisk couldn’t look at him, resentful of herself.

Frisk: ... I shouldn’t have left, I had friends and a happy life next to them, but I chose to come here and now I'm stuck... I have no purpose other than to work here.

Asgore: Don’t say that Frisk. You did things that nobody would do for us, your choice made difference and everyone thanks you for it. You're not guilty for anything.

                Asgore was trying to help as much as he could to calm her down, seeing that her determination was ruined. But it wasn’t enough, Frisk was emotionally unstable and shaken, doubting herself.

Frisk: ... Why do you still believe me? I believed I was doing the right thing all this time, but in the end, I ruined everything.

                Having said that, she rose from the table and left her cup on the table untouched. Frisk took her work bag off the couch and took the badge from her bag. Walking to the table, Frisk left her badge in front of Asgore and left without another word. After that, Asgore stayed there, staring at the badge she had left as he heard the door closing. He took her badge and brought it with his. Seeing the two badges together, he hoped something would happen, but they were like two common emblems meeting. Asgore looked disappointed at them.

Asgore: ... It's as if hope is gone.

                Frisk left the building and saw a limo parked on the street where she was. Staring at the car, she saw the glass of the last door lower and her partner was there, offering her a ride. Despite her mistrust, Frisk gently took the ride and they both went to work. In the meantime, her partner was talking about the meeting she was going to have that day and told some details that would be addressed during the meeting. Meanwhile, Frisk was keeping her head away, sadly, not only for remember having lost the trip, but for losing her powers.

                Arriving at work, they stepped out of the limo and ran into several reporters waiting to interview them. Frisk was frightened by the many journalists who were there and her partner began to answer the questions for them. Meanwhile Frisk was protected by two co-workers as they entered the building, and she saw all her colleagues worried, running from several sides. When they saw that Frisk had arrived, one of them went to her to talk.

Frisk: But what happened?

?: Don’t you know? Which planet do you live?

                Frisk didn’t understand his sarcastic question and saw him picking up a newspaper. He showed her the headline of the newspaper that reported the earthquake caused by an explosion on Mount Ebbot at dawn the same day. Apparently her dream showed something real and Frisk was frightened to realize it.

?: Luckily no one was hurt, but this is bad. Everyone knows that mountain was the same from where the monsters came out and they think it could be a curse for you to have freed the monsters.

Frisk: What? How can they think that?

?: ... We can only hope for the best now.

                After saying this, her colleague turned and left Frisk standing in the middle of the office. Apparently there was no more information and she could only hear phones ringing around the office, wondering what might happen from then on. Frisk knew she couldn’t stand there looking, but she felt unmotivated.

                As Frisk walked to her office, someone pulled her by the fist and Frisk was startled to see who had done it. It was her co-worker, Thalita, one of the embassy secretaries and her friend. They both went to another room, and Thalita looked at Frisk uncommunicatively.

Thalita: What are you doing here? I thought you were going to travel.

Frisk: I couldn’t, okay?

Thalita: My uncles live there and I only hear calls from them since dawn, asking where you are. They told me that all the monsters are afflicted, wanting you back.

Frisk: Look, it's not that simple I decide to leave, okay? I'm important here too.

Thalita: Frisk, put this on your head soon: they need you, NOW. Tell your partner you're leaving and give me a day off.

                Without saying anything, Thalita left the room irritated and in the background, Frisk heard her cursing someone; she hoped that Frisk would take some action from there. Frisk knew that by now it wasn’t just her friends who wanted to see her, but all the monsters. Still, she could only think how futile she felt to imagine what the monsters would think if they knew the truth, that she had lost her powers forever. Leaving the room without any motivation, she remembered the meeting with the ministry and began to walk there; as she walked into the room, she saw her partner talking to several people near the meeting room. Distrustfully, she went to another corridor and luckily, her partner didn’t see her when they started talking about something else.

Minister: ... Do you have plans to continue at the embassy with the girl?

Partner: Certainly. I am aware that she must go to college soon, I will dispatch her soon to make an exchange and she can leave the embassy with me.

Minister: Are you sure she won’t suspect that?

Partner: No, sir, she trusts me. Politics needs influential men, and here I am, doing my part.

Minister: Okay, we'll talk about this later.

                Frisk heard the whole conversation and immediately went to the nearest bathroom to not find out that she had been hearing everything. She knew there was something wrong with that, and she was right to have mistrusted him. She was used all this time for him to gain influence and to enter politics. Frisk felt so angry that she had been fooled that she decided to quit him, but she couldn’t do it without proof. Frisk took a deep breath, looked at herself in the mirror and wondered what she should do to get out of this situation. Thinking better, Frisk realized she didn’t need it; she didn’t want to incriminate him. Frisk knew that it was better to be with the people she could count on instead of living a lie; after all, it was all her merit.

                She left the bathroom and went to the meeting room, where the minister and his assistants were gathered. Frisk was surprised to see that her partner was there as well, she thought he was doing another job. She closed the door and sat at the corner of the table, being able to see everyone. The minister was the first to speak.

Minister: I'm sorry to say that what I'm bringing is not good news, miss. The media is rebounding this incident by saying it is a curse. And we know how much you have devoted to this work. I ask you to consider well what we are proposing, so as not to risk creating a new opposition, we have decided to change the plans.

                When he said this, he took out his file folder and took from it a document signed by the president, stating that the rights given to the monsters should be temporarily suspended and that they be again isolated from the rest of the humans until a further examination of the case is made, which claims to be urgent. Frisk didn’t believe what she was reading, after all she did, they still treated the monsters like that? She slammed the document on the table and stood up, discontented.

Frisk: That's not fair! This isn’t their fault! Why are you doing this?

Minister: We can’t just pretend that nothing happened, they've only been among us for three years and although it's a good time, it's not enough to know if they're safe.

Frisk: This has already been proven. I won’t accept this; I don’t want to deny their rights in this way.

Partner: Are you sure there is no other way to solve this without having a disadvantage of one of the parties?

Minister: We can arrange a meeting on this later, but we can’t leave open the subject of the incident, if you have any idea of what should be done...

                Frisk looked closely at the document and noted the signatures. She saw that the date of the document signed by the president was the same day. Frisk knew that to get the president's permission, it was necessary to arrange a meeting. Getting a signature on the same day was impossible because of your busy schedule. Frisk just wanted to question it.

Frisk: Since when were you planning this?

Minister: ... What are you saying?

Frisk: Is this really the president's signature? It must have taken you long to get his signature.

Minister: That was a matter of urgency! The president was aware of what happened today.

Frisk: And did he agreed to that? I don’t believe in you anymore.

                A target began in the room, the minister was getting impatient with her defiant speech and the partner stood up, trying to calm the situation.

Partner: Please calm down! And you're overreacting, Frisk!

Frisk: And you planned to get me out of the embassy so I'd leave it with you, wouldn’t you?

Partner: ... What? I never said that, Frisk! You trust me, right?

                Before the commotion got even worse because of her, someone turned on an audio recording and everyone was silent.It accurately reproduced the talk the partner and the minister had before starting the meeting. Both were horrified to hear the recording and at the same time, they saw security guards entering the room. Frisk didn’t know how anyone got that recording, and she didn’t know it could happen. At that moment, someone got up from the table and waited to finish the recording to hang up. The minister was angry with this person and before he advanced against him, who was taking the tape, the security guards prevented him. Two more guards were walking to her partner when he looked at Frisk one last time, desperate, before being taken.

Partner: You don’t understand, I'm thinking about your future! I helped you get here, didn’t I?

Frisk: You're fired.

                After that, the security guards took him away and he decided to omit it, angry that he had been discovered. He and the minister left the meeting room accompanied.

Minister: I need a lawyer ...

                Frisk could hardly believe what had happened, now that the partner was gone, she felt freer to decide what to do in her life. The person in whom he recorded their conversation approached her to talk, he was one of the minister's assistants.

Assistant: You have all my respect, Frisk. No one ever dared to chase in favor of monsters just like you. Honestly, all of my co-workers talked badly about you and I couldn’t accept that.

                Frisk had no words to express her gratitude for this person, she even couldn’t look at him.

Frisk: I don’t know how to thank...

Assistant: Well, you have to go back there. You're their hope, right?

                Hearing this, she could not deny her ardent desire to go back to the village and find her friends again. There was nothing else to do at the embassy, all the monsters needed her now. Frisk looked at the assistant and squeezed his hand.

Frisk: I have to go, thank you for everything.

                Saying this, she left the meeting room, grabbed her purse in her office and left the embassy, hurrying back home. Frisk could feel inside her chest, a new light to emerge inside her; she felt her determination growing again. The same determination was felt from far away by her badge, on the table, inside the house, the red heart blinked a grinding light.


	10. Choice

                Frisk came home hurriedly and when she opened the door, she didn’t see Asgore there and even his bags weren’t in the room, Frisk thought he was gone. Alone or not, she decided to travel anyway, there was nothing else for her to do in the capital. Frisk went to her room, took out her empty suitcase and arranged her things hastily to travel.

                When she finished packing her things, she carried her bag into the living room and saw her badge on the table where she had left it before. Frisk took her badge and looked at it for a moment, remembering what she had spoken to Asgore before leaving. Frisk was sad to have made him leave, and hoped to see him soon and apologize for it. Frisk put away her badge, left the house, and took a taxi to the bus station. It wasn’t long before the cab left Frisk on the station and she walked to a nearby line, along with the suitcase. While Frisk looked at what time it was, someone touched her shoulder and Frisk turned to see who was there. Asgore was behind her, smiling serenely and seeing that she had changed her mind, he was notoriously happy. Frisk hugged him without thinking twice, glad to see him there.

Frisk: I’m sorry for today, I thought you were gone because of me.

Asgore: Don’t worry, something told me you'd change your mind.

Frisk: ... Do you also have intuition?

Asgore: Er... not at all...

                He didn’t want to admit that he'd thought about giving up before he'd received a scolding from Toriel on the phone, telling him to wait for Frisk at the bus station. As soon as they were released, they walked out and Frisk saw a car with his suitcases on top of him, held by a rope. Frisk didn’t know that Asgore had a car, even so, she put her suitcase behind it and they started traveling out of the capital, heading to the village.

                The trip would take hours and while they were in the car, Frisk fell asleep halfway. She had a different dream as she hadn’t in years; she was walking in a dark hallway and it was raining, feeling the rain falling on her head, Frisk started to run, looking for a way out. Down the hall, she began to hear a low melody played by a piano. She kept walking and the sound grew louder as she approached the end of the hall, it was a sad melody, as if a person were alone playing the music.

                When the sound seemed clear, Frisk noticed a door at the end of the hall and on the other side of it, there was a light. Frisk looked into the bright room behind the door and noticed that the light was coming from an object above a table. Frisk saw a red crystal ball with an eight-pointed star inside it, glowing brightly. Frisk curiously approached the red ball, surprised and felt like touching her. Before even touching, the light of the sphere expanded and the room became white. The sphere changed shape and became a golden goblet; decorated with bright stones, the wings of the cup had the same shape of wings. Frisk looked at the glass, marveling at its shape and its brightness so intense that she recognized it.

Frisk: ... Is this the artifact?

                She reached out her hands to catch him. Getting close, Frisk heard a strange sound and felt an evil energy around the room. A dark clawed hand came up behind the artifact, and Frisk moved quickly away. Those claws picked up the artifact and his fist closed with the artifact inside, causing the light source to dissipate and darken the room. Frisk looked frightened around and saw black clouds swirling around the room, surrounding her and gulping her down. Frisk began to feel suffocated. Before falling asleep, she heard an evil laugh in the background, unable to recognize who it was, Frisk woke up suddenly when the car hit a rock and crashed.

Asgore: Oops, sorry, is everything okay there?

                She sat down again after the shock and scratched her head, sleepy, and then she remembered the dream she had just had.

Frisk: I... I had a very strange dream.

Asgore: Huh? What kind of dream?

Frisk: I saw a crystal sphere, and it turned into a golden object. I thought it might be...

Asgore: Did you see the artifact in your dream?

Frisk: I'm not sure ... I hadn’t dreams like this since I was in Underground.

Asgore: We need to be careful Frisk, we never know what can happen.

                A few miles away, the person who had released the bizarre underground monsters was behind the shadow of a cliff rock, watching from afar the car where Frisk and Asgore were. He continued to smile as he laced his fingers together. Along with him, three more of those bizarre monsters awaited their master's order; they were half-rounded, with several faces and a contorted tail.

?: It's all going according to plan. Go and capture the human!

                Those monsters obeyed him, disappearing like ghosts and going after that car. It was night, and Frisk looked at the landscape, several trees and hills surrounded the horizon. Frisk watched until she could discover Mount Ebbot nearby.

Frisk: Look, the mountain is over there!

Asgore: Great! We're getting there.

Frisk: Can we stop for a bit? I want to take a look.

                Asgore stopped the car in the middle of the street and they both went out to look at the mountain. From a distance, several lights illuminated it as if it were a monument, drawing their attention.

Asgore: It's very beautiful. It reminds me when we were at the top of this hill when we first went out.

                Frisk said nothing, she could only agree with Asgore as they remembered that unique moment. After a while, Asgore turned to Frisk and saw her reflecting.

Asgore: Are you anxious?

Frisk: ... What will they think when they find out that I no longer have my powers?

Asgore: You didn’t lose them. Your powers are hidden somewhere. Let's find a way, I just ask you to continue to believe.

                She seemed to be negative about her powers, but she expected the same and agreed with Asgore, hoping she would have them back. As they turned to get in the car, they looked on the road and saw something that caught their attention. Three strange creatures were walking toward them and they began to make strange, high-pitched noises, leaving them terrified.

Asgore: Get in the car!

                She was scared and did what Asgore asked. Both got in the car and Asgore wasted no time and accelerated, while Frisk tried to hold on.

Frisk: What was that?

Asgore: I don’t know...

                If those creatures were evil, Frisk didn’t know how to stop them without her powers. She began to beg in her thoughts if there was a way to stop them. Frisk, at the same time, also began to think of her friends and if they were in danger. As Asgore accelerated, he saw several stones, blocking the road, forcing him to stop the car.

Frisk: Can’t you pass between them?

                Asgore saw that he had no other way and had to get out of the car to cut those stones with his trident. Meanwhile, Frisk saw the three monsters behind the car through the viewfinder and stepped outside to warn Asgore. He watched them approach and advanced in front of Frisk, using his trident to push the monsters away. The monsters receded for a moment and recovered from the damage done, advancing again. Asgore didn’t know how to stop them, they were very strong.

Asgore: Run down the road!

Frisk: But what about you?

Asgore: Quick, you have to get to the village!

                Frisk didn’t question anymore and ran down the road, past the stones blocking the path. The monsters saw her running away and teleported close to her. Asgore prevented their action with several fireballs, but they disappeared before Asgore could stop them, leaving him alone.

Asgore: Damn it!

                Frisk kept running when she saw the three monsters teleporting close to her and she ran faster to get away from them as much as she could. They soon began to attack her with projectiles and one of them hit her foot, unbalancing her. Frisk almost fell, managing to keep herself on her feet and continue running. Those monsters continued to approach her insistently and planned to surround her this time. After a long time running, Frisk began to gasp when she had to climb a hill to try to escape. With much effort, Frisk could end climbing and she saw that she was at the top of it and there was no way out. Despite this, Frisk could see the view of the village, knowing that it was a few meters from there. As she stared at the sight, she heard the high-pitched sounds again and looked back, startled, watching the monsters that were still following her, preparing to strike. She started to walk back, trembling with fear.

Frisk: "Someone... please... help me..."

                As she walked back, she noticed a silent shadow approaching her and Frisk turned to see the person who had been commanding those monsters before. He appeared to be a ghost for his ethereal robes, but he had a smooth white skull with two scars close to his eyes and two bright pupils that gazed at her. He had a sinister smile and one of his eyes was half closed.

?: Good work, Memoryheads.

Frisk: ... Who are you?

?: It's a pleasure to meet you, human. I am W.D. Gaster.

                Frisk started to retreat from him in short steps, knowing that those monsters, called Memoryheads, were surrounding her.

Frisk: What do you want?

Gaster: Your soul, the pure essence of determination ... More than enough for me to control the legendary artifact!

Frisk: No...

Gaster: Don’t worry human. If you cooperate, you won’t suffer too much.

                He held out one of his hands to cast a spell, each one had a round hole in the palm of his hand. Seeing this, Frisk didn’t want to surrender, even trembling with fear, she took a few more steps back and tried to save time.

Frisk: How... How do you know about the artifact?

Gaster: Everyone knows the artifact, human. The legend says that a soul with sufficient determination is able to control the artifact. For centuries, I worked on countless attempts to find the perfect soul, and none was a success. I just needed a chance, and that chance is finally within my reach! Surrender at once!

                Gaster held out his hand again and was carrying a spell that would make her soul suck at him. Frisk immediately closed her eyes and felt intense despair. Those same agonizing sensations made Frisk remember her moments of danger that made her have the courage to fight. Soon, a voice inside her began to echo with her thoughts.

Frisk: "... No... I can’t die..."

                At that moment, there was a silence dominating her mind, causing Frisk to reflect on her past as a guardian and then, Frisk began to understand that she fought not only for being human, but for possessing something no one else had. Realizing how much her essence was so desired, Frisk knew she had always been chosen by the artifact, and now that she began to understand, she wasn’t going to surrender so easily.

Frisk: ... I won’t surrender to you ...

                She began to hear the beating of her heart deeply, making her essence slowly come back and so, she began to fill herself with determination. She opened her eyes and stared back at him with resolve, feeling her limbs fill with energy.

Frisk: I am everyone's hope. My mission is not over yet!

                Upon hearing this, Gaster felt the energy emanating from her growing in intensity, leaving him in awe.

Gaster: That energy, magnificent ... It only makes me want to rip your soul out by force, human.

                The Memoryheads began to attack behind her and Frisk realized their intent, straying from the attacks that crossed Gaster. He didn’t react as he felt the projectiles pierce his ethereal body, he didn’t stop to admire her. Landing between the monsters and Gaster, Frisk felt a light inside her, calling her badge. The same thing that was stored in her purse, inside the car, turned into a light source and flew quickly to her, reaching her chest. Frisk took it and held it to her chest, feeling a huge energy inside her about to emerge out.

Frisk: Give me the determination I need to defeat the darkness... Power of light, guide me!

                Gaster saw her standing with her badge and he took advantage of it to catch her. However, the light of the emblem began to expand so intensely that his hands were forced to retreat. Frisk felt she overcome by the light and extended her arms, letting her light expand so that it became a sign to everyone in the village, attracting the attention of all the people there, including Asgore, who at that moment had found Toriel and ran until Frisk when he saw that light.

                Gaster felt so dazzled by her light that he disappeared. The Memoryheads also teleported from that location, bothered. Frisk stood still as her light radiated like a star. The energy inside her was so intense that her badge couldn’t withstand such a charge, starting to crack.

                Meanwhile, as he neared Frisk, Asgore saw her light go out and Frisk felt her energies run out. With the little strength she had, she tried to walk holding her badge, but she couldn’t stand it any more and fainted, letting it fall and break. Asgore managed to catch her in time and take her to the car, but upon seeing the badge, he saw her heart broken and some shards had been lost on the ground. Asgore looked at that frightened and took it, holding it to himself until he could find a way to return it. He should think about what to say if Frisk asked about her badge, he feared Frisk wouldn’t be transformed after that.

                Upon arriving at Toriel's house before the others, Asgore got out of the car and carried Frisk to a spare room and left her in bed, and also, Asgore left her suitcases in the same room. Before leaving the room, Asgore ran a hand over her head gently and spoke in a low voice, smiling to himself.

Asgore: I'm proud of you.

                After saying this, he left the room as he looked at Frisk serenely, letting her sleep soundly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaayy now the story should continue from now on. Don't forget to leave kudos and comment! :)


	11. Retrospective

                 In the middle of the night, Frisk awoke suddenly, startled. She just had a dream that recalled the scene in which Gaster appeared to confront her. The Memoryheads and his sudden appearance were more than enough to welcome her return. Frisk kept remembering the words he had said, making a big impact.

_"... For centuries, I worked on countless attempts to find the perfect soul, and none was a success. I just needed a chance, and that chance is finally within my reach! "_

                 She couldn’t understand what he meant, making her even more intrigued. With everything that happened, she got out of bed without sleep and noticed that she was inside a different house, missing the place.

Frisk: ... Where am I?

                 She turned on the light and noticed her bags in the corner of the room. When she saw the wardrobe, the toy box and the bookcase with a lamp, she soon realized that she was no longer in her usual home; she had returned to the village, and the furniture was very familiar. She went to her suitcase and opened it to get a pair of pajamas. Her cell phone was indicating 3 in the morning and Frisk wanted to eat something without disturbing the others. As she left the room, Frisk saw a few lights downstairs. She walked slowly down the stairs until she saw there were some candles on, protected by glass. Frisk recognized the same room as Toriel's house and noticed that it was tidy and clean. To her surprise, Frisk saw Asgore and Toriel asleep on the couch, sitting and leaning against each other. Looking around, there were mattresses scattered around the room, she heard more people sleeping and Frisk realized they were very eager to see her in the morning.

                 Without making a noise, she kept walking to the kitchen and in the dark, she opened the refrigerator and saw that there was half a butterscotch and cinnamon pie stored. Frisk smiled as she got a chance to eat a piece of the pie she enjoyed so much. She took that pie to take a slice and she didn’t realize there was someone behind, looking at her. He came slowly behind and said in a sinister tone.

?: _Human..._

                 Frisk froze in fright at the sound of that voice, she could only watch the refrigerator close itself as that voice sounded familiar to her.

?: _... Don’t you know how to greet an old friend? Turn around..._

                 She smiled to herself, after so long she would finally see him again. Wondering how much he had changed, Frisk closed her eyes and turned to shake his hand without waiting him finishing his reply. A faint, eccentric noise from a fart-cushion came out of the handshake, and Frisk forgot that eccentric noise coming out of the way. Surprised, she was dying to laugh, but she couldn’t make it loud.

Sans: Hehe, the old whoopee cushion in the hand, is always funny...

Frisk: ... Sorry... I didn’t think you'd do it again.

Sans: Hehe... I haven’t seen you laugh for so long.

                 Hearing that voice left her with chills, making her remember that in the past she had feelings for him, but Frisk had left them aside when she arrived in the capital, she had focused only on her work and didn’t had time to go on any meeting. But now, she wanted to see him, but the room was dark and she moved back.

Frisk: I'm not seeing you right. I'll turn on the light.

                 She went to the nearest switch and turned on the kitchen light as she closed the door, then, finnaly she turned to see him and Frisk didn’t expect to see him different from before. Frisk's eyes widened at his new look, all those feelings of the past came back forcefully; she felt her stomach wrap and her face blush like a tomato. She couldn’t say anything in that situation, while Sans saw that she had grown up, but her long pajamas allowed him only to see her new height.

Sans: Heh ... Looks like you've grown up too...

Frisk: ... Is it... is it really you?

Sans: Uh... It's a long story.

Frisk: But I remember I passed you by...

Sans: Hehe ... you're still a child to me.

Frisk: I'm not a child anymore!

Sans: Uhum...

                 She couldn’t believe that after three years without seeing herself, even as an adult, he still gave her that answer. How could she prove otherwise? She looked at him again and a strange mood began to emerge. Frisk looked away from him seconds later; she felt nervous next to him and Sans didn’t want to occupy her time anymore.

Sans: Well ... Everyone wants to see you in the morning, see you later?

Frisk: ... Right... I'll just eat a slice of pie and go back to sleep.

Sans: Okay, see ya.

                 He walked to the door and opened it to leave, Frisk looked one last time before seeing him leave the kitchen, but before he closed the door, Sans seemed to have remembered something and held the door to speak.

Sans: And stay calm. No one else will scare you into the night.

                 After that reply, he closed the door. Frisk grunted when she heard that comment and turned to cut the pie.

Frisk: ... I changed my mind, he's still boring.

Sans: "Heh ... she's still the same."

                 After finishing eating, Frisk went to the bedroom to sleep once more until dawn. When the sun had risen, Frisk felt the sunshine on her face and she awoke. It had been years since she had remembered how beautiful the view of the sun was in the village. She stood up and opened the windows, feeling the breeze come into her room welcoming her back. Frisk straightened up, dressed in her casual clothes and tied her hair as she did when she went to work.

                 As she left the room, Frisk saw the decor of the house better and realized that some things had changed. Soon, she saw everyone at the table, except Asgore, he was probably taking care of the plants in the morning. While Toriel was talking to Sans, Papyrus and Undyne, she saw Frisk come into the room and called out. Soon, they all looked at her and were surprised to see that she had changed. At the same time, Frisk was happy to see them back. Everyone left the table and Papyrus was the first to hug her, then Undyne hugged her harder and lifted her off the floor, as if she had never seen her in such a long time, Frisk felt more suffocated than before.

Undyne: Nerd! How long! I thought you'd ever come back again.

Frisk: Yeah ... It’s good... see... you...

                 Embracing her, Undyne realized that Frisk was not at normal weight before, she quickly dropped it, set it on the ground and looked at Frisk, indignant.

Undyne: By heaven, you're too thin! You have to go back to training.

Papyrus: And with the help of the Great Papyrus, you'll be in shape like never before.

Frisk: Sorry guys, work made me too busy to train...

Sans: … I thought you had been TRAINee;

Papyrus: ... SANS! The human has barely arrived and has to put up with your jokes?

                 She laughed at Papyrus's angry reaction to his brother. When she looked at Sans again, she soon remembered that he had changed, now that she could see him more clearly, he really had became handsome for her. For a moment they looked at each other, and Frisk looked awkward, feeling a lump in her stomach and her heart pounding. Undyne saw Frisk's reaction and approached Sans, touching his shoulder.

Undyne: Hey nerd, what do you think about his new look? Doesn’t he seem like the lazy bag of bones before?

Papyrus: ... He just seems.

Sans: Hey, hold up, bro.

Papyrus: I'm absolutely sure he's still the same.

                 Frisk didn’t care much about the small discussions and laughed at them, it was as if she had indeed returned to her home. Everyone returned in their seats and Frisk sat next to Toriel, they were eager to know what Frisk had to tell.

Undyne: And how is the capital?

Frisk: Well ... There are a lot of people there, lots of shops of all kinds and the traffic is very noisy, but it sure was good to live there.

Papyrus: And the people there?

Frisk: They're gentle, but they are more closed than the people here, they weren’t accustomed to the presence of the monsters and few of them live there. Hopefully soon they will accept them better.

Undyne: Certainly, all thanks to you.

By that time Asgore had come in and saw everyone gathered at the table, he went to wash himself to sit next to them. Frisk continued to tell her experiences in the capital until Asgore sat at the table and coughed lightly, interrupting her.

Asgore: Young lady, could you tell us how you made that light appear?

Papyrus: When I saw that light, I knew it was the human! You appeared as if you were a star.

Frisk: A star?

Undyne: Yesterday we were all attacked by those monsters, if they were common I would have easily defeated them, but there was something abnormal.

Papyrus: I thought we were going to be devoured by them.

Undyne: And worse, our guarding powers were gone.

Frisk: Your powers too?

Undyne: ... Yours too?

Frisk: Yeah ... Before I came here, I realized that I couldn’t transform myself any more. I only came back because I convinced myself that I should go back, and in the middle of the way, these monsters that attacked us wouldn’t stop following us. We stopped in the middle of the road and Asgore tried to protect me while I ran. But they surrounded me again, it was as if I were back underground, having to deal with the darkness again ... By the way ... Father, did you see my badge?

Everyone looked at Asgore, for a moment he looked startled. The badge was even with him, but Asgore didn’t know how to tell the truth to her. He then decided to omit, disguising his concern.

Asgore: Don’t worry Frisk, it's guarded with me, I got it before we got back.

Frisk: ... That’s good.

She and Asgore were both relieved, but he didn’t know what to say after that. Toriel looked at him and realized that Asgore wasn’t well, deciding to talk to him after lunch. After that, Papyrus got up from the table and spoke with excitement.

Papyrus: Human! Wait until you see my new cooking skills! The Great Papyrus will make the best lunch you have ever tasted!

Frisk: And what did you learn these years, Paps?

Papyrus: It's all in my authentic cookbook written by me! And today I'm going to prepare one of my favorite dishes! Allow me to use your kitchen for a while?

Toriel: Of course, Papyrus.

At that time, everyone left the table and Toriel, Papyrus and Sans went to the kitchen, Asgore went into the living room and opened the newspaper to read while Frisk stayed with Undyne.

Frisk: And Alphys and Mettaton?

Undyne: Mettaton shouldn’t be too late to see you, and Alphys ... She's kind of busy, I guess.

Frisk: Is she okay?

Undyne: Yes ... she is.

Undyne replied awkwardly, worried about Alphys. Frisk began to suspect that something had happened and before she could ask, the door rang and Undyne quickly stepped forward to answer. She opened the door and saw a limo down the street, while Mettaton was standing by the door signaling some papers for his fans. Undyne was looking at them impatiently.

Undyne: Can you give this a while while you're here?

Mettaton: I can’t darling, the fans always call me.

Undyne: Come in.

As soon as he finished, he posed extravagantly into the house and saw Frisk around, making him run to embrace her.

Mettaton: Dear Frisk, the favorite star has returned!

Frisk: Tonton! It's good to see you back!

Mettaton: We were so homesick! This place here was erased without the glitz of the big stars, you're traveling on business and I'm touring ... It's really a shame that my tours are over for now. Though I owe it all to you, darling.

Frisk: What about Alphys? She is fine?

Mettaton: Why ... I haven’t seen her in a while since she and Undyne went to see what had happened underground.

Frisk: What happened?

Mettaton: ... Didn’t they tell you?

Surprised to guess that Frisk had already heard from Undyne about what they had seen underground, Mettaton looked at Undyne indignantly as she didn’t look at both of them, remembering the incident that made her and Alphys distance themselves.

Undyne: ... The core exploded.

Frisk: ... Really?

Undyne: Yeah ... But the worst wasn’t that, it's seeing those monsters coming out of there. I suspect someone must have set them free.

Mettaton: Well, I hope they don’t decide to ruin this day.

Frisk: ... What do you mean?

Mettaton: "What do you mean”... Didn’t you think you'll have nothing for your return? My... You're mistaken, darling. Tonight we will celebrate your return with a party!

Frisk: ... But is it safe?

Mettaton: Of course it is. If anything happens, we can use our powers, right?

Frisk: ... I hope so.

Frisk answered it and hoped it was true, because if she really had her powers back, it would only be true if she saw her badge work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG the shipp restarted again xD  
> Hope you're liking this so far. :)


	12. Alphys

                 Frisk and Mettaton spent a few minutes talking when he remembered something, then, Mettaton went to get his bag and inside it was a gift and a bag from a clothing store for Frisk. He held out his hand to her and handed them over.

Mettaton: Here's the gift that Alphys asked me to bring back to you a while ago, and this bag is my gift. We have to set a day for you to see my new clothing collection.

Frisk: Of course!

Mettaton: But let me look at you, darling, take a turn.

                 Frisk felt embarrassed to hear his request and awkwardly, Frisk spun around, turning her body to him. Mettaton was surprised to see her current build and his eyes flashed.

Mettaton: Girl, your curves are wonderful! I know exactly what you need to display them.

Frisk: ... Not so much...

                 They noticed a slight cough in the background, Asgore got angry and was watching Mettaton for him not to do something that bothered her.

Mettaton: ... I know, I told you that you're going to see my new clothing collection, right? With my fashion tips, you'll be able to choose what you like.

Frisk: And what about Napstablook? How is he?

Mettaton: Girl, you have to see… The songs he's composing are destroying the competition, Blooky makes me proud.

                 By that time Asgore had gotten up to go to the kitchen and Sans left and stood near the kitchen door, watching the two in the room talking.

Frisk: … Will Alphys come?

Mettaton: Why won’t you see her? She'll be happy to see you.

Frisk: Sure, I would love to see how she is.

Undyne: So I'm going too.

Mettaton: Great, and take Sans along, Alphys still didn’t see how he stayed after the experiment.

Sans: Okay.

Mettaton: And come over before lunch gets cold, if I leave my fans won’t stop coming after me.

Undyne: We won’t take it longer.

                 The three of them left the house and saw the Mettaton fans waiting next to his limousine for more autographs. Frisk found this comical. After that, they walked towards Alphys' house. On the way, the three of them were silent. Frisk stared at her feet as she walked, and then she remembered to ask Sans about how he'd grown up.

Frisk: ... Sans?

Sans: Hm?

Frisk: How did you grow? And Mettaton said about Alphys, did she have anything to do with?

Sans: Oh, yeah. Some time ago, Alphys presented a survey along with some university students; they studied the bone structure and researched a way to stimulate growth. She created an experiment and needed a guinea pig to prove the result. And after much insistence for me, I ended up stumbling on one condition.

Frisk: Which?

Sans: To pay my bill at Grillby'z.

Frisk: I don’t know how this surprises me...

Undyne: And what happened?

Sans: She said it could cause dizziness and pain in the bones hours later and she told me to do nothing and go rest, but when I was going home I was already feeling pain in my legs. Paps saw me staggering and took me to my room. The next day I saw that it was growing a few inches and at the end of the day, it was six inches.

Frisk: I don’t believe... You got six inches in just one day? I have not been able to do this in three years...

Undyne: You're still young, nerd; You're going to grow up more.

Frisk: I don’t know...

Undyne: Hey, where's the determined human saying “always believe in yourself.”?

                 Surprised to hear Undyne mention this, she hadn’t realized that her attitude had bothered her.

Frisk: I didn’t mean it... Actually ... I thought about my parents now, but I don’t remember them very well.

Undyne: … Really? What happened to them?

Frisk: I never saw my mother, and my father died in an accident at work... My aunt is my father's sister and that's why they have looked after me since childhood.

Undyne: Hm... It's been a long time since I saw my father; it was because of him that I entered the Royal Guard...

Frisk: Really?

                 Undyne broke off the conversation when they saw they were near Alphys's house. Meanwhile, Alphys was in the room watching anime when she heard noises of approaching footsteps and a conversation from afar. She ran to the window and saw Undyne and Sans, and she was even more surprised to see a human among them; her hair stuck made her unrecognizable. As soon as they reached the door, Undyne knocked it and called for her.

Undyne: Alphys? It's me ... And I brought visitors.

                 Alphys ran to fix the mess in the kitchen and get a robe to get dressed. She was still in her pajamas. It took a while for Undyne to knock again on the door, calling one more time, and then Alphys opened, looking tired, and surprised to see Undyne.

Undyne: ... Uh Alphys... Sorry to come without warning, but they wanted to see you.

Sans: I just accepted the invitation.

Alphys: Ah... S-sure... Come in.

                 She let them in and the three of them stayed in the living room. Alphys ran to the kitchen to prepare something and Undyne went with her, while Sans and Frisk began to look around the house of Alphys. Frisk saw that she had acquired more anime posters on the wall and her Action Figures collection had grown. In the kitchen, both Alphys and Undyne were silent. Undyne was nervous to see her like this and wanted to ask how she was, but Alphys didn’t seem receptive at the moment.

Undyne: ... I guess you've been busy these days.

Alphys: Y-yeah...

                 Internally, Alphys was scared. She wanted to tell, to vent what she was feeling, but Alphys feared that if she told the truth, Undyne would hate her for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Undyne kept seeing that Alphys wasn’t paying attention to her and decided not to bother her any longer, sighing inwardly. She helped her get the cups to serve the tea and led them to the others. When both reached the room, they saw them looking around the decorations and Undyne called to sit down, while Alphys set the cups on the table.

Undyne: Hey nerds, are you going to want some tea?

Frisk: I'll accept, thank you.

                 Undyne and Alphys sat down on a couch and stood facing Frisk and Sans, who had sat on the opposite couch. Alphys seemed more interested in seeing about the outcome of her experiment and how much Sans had grown up.

Alphys: That’s great! My experiment really worked! How was the process?

Sans: It was uncomfortable, but in the end it looks like it really worked.

Alphys: Then I need to do more tests to see if anything in your bone structure has changed.

Sans: Okay.

                 When Alphys glanced at Frisk, she was a little sheepish as she spoke to her. Alphys was definitely not recognizing her.

Alphys: And... well... It's a pleasure to see you... You remind me a lot of someone...

                 Frisk looked perplexed at what Alphys was talking about and was speechless. Undyne and Sans were confused to hear her and Sans ended up laughing at that situation.

Undyne: ... Alphys, are you okay? It's the human!

                 When she finally realized the mistake, Alphys looked back at Frisk in shock and was ashamed of what she ended up saying, sweating a lot and red-faced, while Frisk smiled at her, ungraciously.

Alphys: AAAH... I-I'm sorry Frisk! I-I hadn’t recognized you...

Frisk: ... I never thought this could happen...

Alphys: It must be your... Hair tied...

Undyne: Hey nerd, let go of your hair.

                 It had been a long time since she had loosen her hair, the capital was very hot and even with her short hair down to her shoulders, she kept him tied. When she took the tie to release him, her hair flew until it rested on her shoulders. Alphys was delighted to see this effect and when Sans saw Frisk loosen her hair, he eventually remembered his dream when she had appeared on the hill, as if he really knew she was there. He didn’t even know why he had remembered it at that hour, but that made him a little embarrassed.

Alphys: Aaaaaah Frisk... You look so beautiful with your hair down!

Undyne: I agree! You should leave like this.

                 Frisk received the compliment from Alphys timidly, and thinking about what Sans might be thinking of her now, her heart was throbbing hard and her face flushed slightly. Neither of them dared look at the other at that moment.

Alphys: Hey Undyne...

                 Alphys approached her fin and whispered into Undyne's ear, covering her mouth with her hand to keep from reading. They couldn’t hear what she said and saw Undyne laughing happily.

Undyne: FUHUHUHU... I'm waiting for this for so long!

Frisk: ... What?

Alphys: N-nothing Frisk...

Undyne: Well, we have to go... We still have lunch with Paps and the bosses.

Alphys: Is Asgore there? I need to talk to him later...

Undyne: Why don’t you show up later?

Frisk: Yes, he wants to see you too.

Alphys: I'm still kind of busy... But thank you very much for the invitation.

                 The four of them got up from the couch and headed for the door, saying goodbye to her. But before Undyne left, Alphys took her by the hand, interrupting her.

Alphys: Undyne... I-I'm sorry for today, and for not sending you more news... When you want we can talk.

Undyne: Don’t worry, Alphys... I'm glad you're okay, take the time you need to find out about those monsters, okay?

Alphys: Y-yes...

                 Alphys saw them walking away and sighed heavily as she closed the door. From there, the three of them returned to Toriel's house and upon arriving there, they saw that Papyrus was nervous with them for being slow to arrive. He had made a salty pie with chicken and vegetables and the food had started to cool, even so, the lunch was great. Mettaton had to leave soon because he had an appointment in the afternoon and promised that he would return to Frisk’s party. Likewise, Undyne, Papyrus and Sans left and guaranted to go to her party later.

                 Hours later, Frisk finished packing her things, putting her clothes in the closet and finally decided to rest for a while until the time to prepare for the party. Frisk went to bed and minutes later, she received a call from Undyne.

Frisk: Hello?

Undyne: Hello human, sorry to disturb you, I ... I came to ask a favor... QUIET, THAT'S YOUR IDEA! Uh... Can you show up here now if it's not too much bother?

Frisk: Sure.

Undyne: I'm at Papyrus's house, do you remember the way?

Frisk: Of course.

Undyne: So... Uhm... See you later.

                 Undyne hung up, and Frisk wondered what should be her intention to call her out of nowhere. Frisk left her room and came down, watching Toriel and Asgore discuss something serious, Frisk ended up interrupting them as she went to the door.

Frisk: Excuse me, Undyne asked me to see her, I'll go there.

Asgore: Wait a minute Frisk; I have to tell you something before.

Frisk: What?

                 Asgore took a deep breath before speaking and Toriel was on his side comforting him. At that moment, she turned, worried about her and Frisk wasn’t understanding what was happening.

Asgore: I thought it was the best to wait for everyone leave and tell you later about it.

Frisk: … About what?

                 He picked up a box from the table and held it facing Frisk, motioning for her to pick it up. Frisk took the box nervously and opened it, then, she was puzzled to see what was inside that box. Her badge was inside, but its heart was cracked and shattered, as if it were broken glass.

Frisk: But... How did this happen?

Asgore: When you emitted that light, the badge fell from you and broke...

                 Frisk soon closed the box, realizing that there was nothing else to do for her, Frisk returned the box to Asgore and thanked, forcing a smile on her face.

Frisk: Thank you for telling me the truth.

Toriel: Don’t forget the party today, my child.

                 She turned and left the house without speaking. Seeing that, they both realized that Frisk had made better leaving the housefor a while, yet they feared what might happen to her, now that she could no longer be transformed. Frisk, on her way, wondered how futile she had become now. Without her badge, she couldn’t do anything else, how could she stop the evil now? What meaned that light she emitted to the point of breaking her badge? She didn’t know the answer to any of those questions.


	13. Confession

                Walking up to the skeleton brothers' house, Frisk dispersed those thoughts that were flooded in her head and sketched a smile on her face. Her friends could transform now, couldn’t they? Even if Frisk couldn’t, she was happy to see that her friends have their powers returned. When she arrived there, Frisk knocked on the door and waited until she saw the door opening; Undyne was behind the door when she saw her.

Undyne: Hey, nerd… Did I bother you?

Frisk: No, it's okay.

Undyne: Fine. I called you because I want you to deliver this letter to Alphys, and DO NOT DARE TO OPEN IT… IF YOU DO IT I’LL KILL YOU... okay?

                Frisk took Undyne's letter, and she sweated coldly at her command to not open the letter. She had no reason to open a letter that wasn’t destined to her and she didn’t understand why she had to deliver the letter instead of herself.

Frisk: ... And why don’t you deliver it?

Undyne: Ah... I... Respect her privacy.

                Undyne looked very nervous as she tried to answer the question, and Frisk decided not to question her anymore, it seemed to be something personal to her.

Frisk: Right... I'm going.

Undyne: Do not open huh!

                Undyne closed the door quickly and Frisk turned to go to Alphys' house again, giggling. Whatever message she had in that letter, what could be so secret? Anyway, that was nothing of her business. Frisk walked, holding the letter in her hand and when she arrived Alphys’s house, she knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds. It looks like there was no one there. Then Frisk just handed the letter under the door. It wasn’t long before she heard footsteps approaching and suddenly they stopped. Someone must have seen the letter on the floor. Strangely, Frisk approached the door to hear who was there.

Alphys: ... What? Another letter?... No... This time I have to open it.

                Frisk heard Alphys rip the paper from the letter and begin to read. A few seconds later, Frisk heard screams in the back of the house. She was startled to hear that and was very frightened of what the letter was written. Suddenly, the door was quickly unlocked and Frisk jumped back in fright. She saw Alphys behind the door, totally confused to see Frisk outside.

Alphys: F-Frisk?... Did you write that?

Frisk: ... What?

Alphys: That was so... Cute... I didn’t think you wrote like that.

                She began to stutter with nervousness and her face was flushed like tomatoes. Seeing her in that state made Frisk even more frightened. Quickly, Alphys pulled her into the house and closed the door. Frisk could no longer understand what was happening to her, much less wondering what she had in that letter, but she noticed that Alphys was happier after reading it.

Alphys: Honestly Frisk... I-I have to tell you the truth. Despite everything you wrote to me, I... I consider you a great friend; I don’t feel the same as you did when you wrote this.

                Now it all made sense, it was a statement to Alphys and there was really a valid reason to send Frisk to her, but she had to react quickly before it ran out of control.

Frisk: ... But I didn’t write it!

                At that, Alphys stopped and looked at her again, paralyzed. No answer came at her mind. There was a silence for a few seconds where they could only hear the sound of the working cabinet.

Alphys: ... So... Who made it?

                That tense atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door; they looked at the door in alarm and heard someone calling from the other side.

Undyne: ... Is anyone there? Alphys, are you there?

                Both were astonished to hear Undyne outside and Alphys decided to hide in the kitchen, warning Frisk to leave through the back door. Running quickly, Frisk found the door on the other side of the house and left. After closing the door carefully, Frisk began to act covertly as if she hadn’t entered Alphys's house and walked to where Undyne was. In fact, she was still waiting at the door when she saw Frisk arrive.

Undyne: ... There you are. Im thinking for a while and I think I'd better hand it to her, is it with you?

Frisk: I ended up passing the letter under the door...

Undyne: ... I imagined, and did you see if Alphys is in there?

Frisk: ... No.

Undyne: ARGH! Did she leave at this hour? Where could she be?

                Undyne turned nervous and went to look for Alphys on the other street and said nothing more. Frisk sighed in relief, and then she saw Alphys opening the door of the house, quietly calling to her. She slipped in, and the two of them had been relieved themselves of the confusion that happened when Undyne was at the door.

Alphys: ... I'm sorry, Frisk.

Frisk: You don’t have to say it Alphys.

Alphys: That's not it, it's just... You see... I-I... I also like Undyne. But... I don’t know how I'm going to tell her this.

Frisk: What do you mean?

Alphys: I mean... She's always been strong, confident, and everyone admires her a lot. I always wanted to be like her, but... I can’t compare myself to her. So I've been lying to her and she thinks I'm cool.

Frisk: Then why don’t you tell her the truth?

Alphys: The truth?... But if I say... She will hate me forever! Isn’t that better? Keep pretending that everything is okay and we have no problem?

                Alphys began to laugh uneasily as she thought of her reaction, making her feel more frustrated. That was what she always did every time they talked. Alphys was afraid to be herself, but she knew what to do. Not just to get rid of this habit of lying, but to gain total confidence of her.

Alphys: No... You're right... Every day I'm afraid she'll find out the truth. If I keep lying, she'll find out someday and I'll hate myself forever...

                Frisk couldn’t understand why Alphys was so fierce, what had she done that was so serious? Alphys refused to look at Frisk as she talked about it, she felt she could count on Frisk, but at the same time, she wanted to warn her of who she had been in the past.

Alphys: ... I'm sorry Frisk, I've never been a real good person... I've done horrible things... Please, don’t hate me...

                As much as Alphys reveals her frustration, Frisk smiled gently at her and took both her hands to support her. Regardless of what Alphys had done in the past, Frisk still considered her a good friend and had no reason to hate her.

Frisk: Alphys, you've always been a great friend to me. If you want me to help you get rid of this weight, you can count on me.

Alphys: ... Thank you...

                Frisk released her hands as Alphys had blushed the face, feeling calmer at her words. Meanwhile, Frisk thought of a way to help her declare her feelings.

Frisk: ...Why don’t we fake it? I'll be Undyne and you train with me before you tell her the truth.

Alphys: ... P-pretend?

                As good as it may be, Alphys didn’t realize that she would have to do this to help her declare herself. Nervously, she started talking to Frisk and she simulated it as if she were speaking as Undyne.

Alphys: ... Ok... Hello... Undyne.

Frisk: Hello!

Alphys: I... I have to tell you something...

Frisk: What is it?

Alphys: Well... I... I wanted to tell you that...

                Meanwhile, Undyne decided to go back to Alphys' house, distressed that she hadn’t found her anywhere. As she approached the door to knock again, she heard voices from inside the house and stopped to approach the door to listen, curiously.

Alphys: I’m... S-sorry Undyne... I've lied to you... Please... Don’t hate me.

Frisk: Hey… Take it easy, I won’t hate you... If you have something to tell me, you can tell me now.

Undyne: ... "What are they talking about?"

                Undyne kept listening quietly and tried to understand what was going on inside.

Alphys: I... I think you're cool... I like the way you are... I really... I always wanted to be like you! But... All I did was lying to make you think I was cool... When, in fact, I'm a failure.

Frisk: What do you mean by that?

Alphys: I... always said that I was reading science books... But it was really just comics and manga! And when I said I was learning how to cook spaghetti, remember? I actually only know how to do instant lamen.

                Undyne began to laugh quietly, not believing that was what worried her. She realized that Alphys really wanted her to be trusted. Meanwhile, she eventually heard Frisk laugh at Alphys's statement as well.

Alphys: Hey... Don’t laugh...

Frisk: Sorry... I didn’t imagine that was what was bothering you. Well I... I'm glad you told me the truth, Alphys. You no longer have to lie to anyone. From today, just do as the human always says: believe in yourself.

                Seeing that Frisk had made her point, Undyne smiled slightly, grateful that she had helped Alphys confess the truth. Soon she heard screams and was startled.

Alphys: AAAH... I CAN’T HESITATE! I AM DEEPLY IN LOVE FOR YOU... HOLD ME!

                Alphys ran up to Frisk and hugged her tightly, leaving her frightened. With the weight that Alphys threw at her, Frisk was eventually pushed to the wall and accidentally pressed the emergency button that automatically opened all the doors of the house. Undyne was behind the front door and she saw the two of them clinging to the floor, perplexing. Frisk and Alphys sense Undyne outside and they became in shock.

Undyne: ... BUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

Alphys: Undyne!

                Quickly, Alphys stood up and approached Undyne to explain herself quickly.

Alphys: We... Just... We were faking it, isn’t it Frisk?

                Frisk got up and didn’t know what to say, it was supposed to be for Alphys to tell Undyne the truth at that moment, but when Undyne saw that she denied it, Undyne understood that it was all a lie. Feeling disgusted, Undyne felt annoyed and decided to leave.

Undyne: Sorry to disturb your theater.

Alphys: … Undyne! Wait!

                Alphys realized she had said something wrong and ran to Undyne to hold her wrist. When she felt herself being held, Undyne turned back and faced Alphys, she was very annoyed.

Undyne: …What?

Alphys: I'm sorry... Actually, that wasn’t a lie, I... I really have to tell you something.

Undyne: So talk.

                Alphys released her fist and lowered her head, she felt sorry for having hurt her and all her rancor left, thinking she was hating her forever.

Alphys: I... I lied to you when we were underground... Undyne, I admire you very much and I think you are the best person there is. That's why I wanted you to think the same of me...

Undyne: ... Alphys?

Alphys: I wanted to be just like you, strong, and confident about the things you do...

Undyne: Alphys ...

Alphys: Being admired by everyone who sees you fighting, I... I am nothing compared to you.

Undyne: Stop.

                Alphy looked at Undyne in a frightened way and her eyes were shedding tears, but she saw Undyne happy to hear her speak the truth, she bent down to look at her at the same time as she wiped her tears away.

Undyne: Alphys... I honestly think I should talk too. I don’t care so much about the things you do, because to me, this is NERD thing. What attracts me to you is that you are analytical and passionate ... You really care about the things you do. So, you no longer have to lie to anyone about what you do, the important thing is to be yourself.

                Alphys was moved by the words she heard, Undyne didn’t hate her at all, and she felt lighter after telling the truth about what she felt. Suddenly Alphys hugged her, grateful that Undyne had heard and accepted her as she is.

Alphys: I’m sorry.

Undyne: No more excuses, I forgive you.

                After a while, they let go and Alphys felt inside that she should say one last thing that was missing. She looked at Undyne and her face flushed.

Alphys: ... Undyne... I want you to know... That I really like you.

Undyne: Heh, I like you too.

                Frisk only watched the two of them and was glad to have managed to make them correspond. As they both exchanged passionate glances, Frisk wondered if she had the chance to be matched at that point. After this event, Undyne stood up, realizing that Frisk was at the door.

Undyne: Thank you nerd. I owe you for helping Alphys.

Frisk: It was nothing.

Alphys: Yes... Thank you Frisk. Without you, I don’t know how that would end...

Frisk: ... Well, I have to go back now.

Undyne: Are you going to make time to dress up, nerd?

                Frisk knew about the party, but she was resentful about what happened to her badge, seeing that she could no longer transform herself, she didn’t know how to retrieve it. She couldn’t look at both of them and was about to leave Alphys's house.

Frisk: I’m sorry, I'm not good to go.

Undyne: Hey! Don’t come with excuses now! Mettaton did everything to make this party for you don’t go?

Alphys: We won’t let you not go there... I'm going to call him to pick a suit for you, he should be there soon.

                Seeing how much they cared to see her at the party, Frisk thought for a moment and decided to let her moodiness go. As soon as Alphys started calling him, Frisk saw a limousine approaching and Mettaton quickly left the back with several shopping bags. He looked at his gold wristwatch and was startled.

Mettaton: Oh my God, I have to hurry...

                He walked quickly to Alphys' house and eventually saw the three of them nearby. Mettaton was even more surprised to see Frisk there.

Mettaton: Oh dear Frisk, what are you doing here? You should be ready by now!

Alphys: Mettaton, we have an emergency! Do you have any clothes for her?

Mettaton: Mettaton thinks of everything, darling. I looked at a fabulous dress that will surely attract everyone's attention, take it.

                He handed one of the shopping bags he was carrying to Frisk and she picked it up, feeling it was a little heavy. When Frisk opened to see, she widened her eyes in surprise. Undyne and Alphys saw Frisk's reaction and were curious to see.

Undyne: Show us, nerd!

                She left the bag on the floor and picked up the garment that was inside, lifting it up for being long. It was a party dress, a round neckline made of chiffon and satin, embroidered with flowers, beads and sequins, separated by a satin ribbon, all red. Undyne and Alphys were thrilled to see the dress she held.

Mettaton: It couldn’t be any better.

Undyne: This looks like a plan...

Mettaton: I didn’t think of any plans. I just want to see how she’ll fit in this dress and who will be the heartthrob who’ll fix his eyes on her.

Frisk: … Wait! I don’t want to conquer anyone!

Mettaton: Darling... You're in the age of love and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to use all your charm at this party. When the perfect candidate arrives, every time you think of him, you’ll feel your heart melt.

                Mettaton posed extravagantly, excited to show Frisk his willingness to help her find her first love. Frisk's face was all red as Mettaton said it and Undyne was getting annoyed, watching him play extravagantly.

Undyne: ... This is making me sick.

Mettaton: And when you find that person, let us know immediately.

Alphys: Frisk, you have no idea how happy we are going to be when we find out you found someone that makes you feel happy.

Frisk: ... Yes...

                Frisk had only one person in mind at that moment, she wondered how he would react seeing her wearing that dress. For being very elegant, it was very likely that he would enjoy it.

Mettaton: Come on dear, if not, we’ll be late!

Undyne: I'm going to call Toriel and tell you're going to dress up with us; it's good to hurry up.

                Awkwardly, Frisk thanked him for the present and they all rushed into Alphys's house to get ready. With their help, Frisk will be well-crafted for the long-awaited party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alphyne <3  
> Ohh the dress Frisk won is beautiful! Soon you'll know how she displayed it. :p


	14. The Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My draw showing Frisk in her dress: https://sta.sh/05bw5rl6jk4
> 
> Hope you like this chapter :3

                Mettaton had rented a place to host the Frisk’s welcome party. It was already night and the guests were coming in little by little. Everything was arranged and decorated, the buffet was full and Grillby was taking care of his temporary bar inside.

                Asgore, Toriel, Papyrus and Sans were already inside the place and Toriel was getting worried about Frisk, she hadn’t arrived yet. Asgore was receiving the guests for the party and the skeleton brothers watched the guests arrive. Toriel was wearing a lilac dress, Asgore and Papyrus wore a bowtie suit and Sans wore a gray sweater, pants, and social shoes. The party would be full in a few minutes and Toriel approached them, asking if they had any news of Frisk.

Papyrus: Don’t worry your majesty, it was my idea that Undyne called Frisk to help her, I think she should come soon.

Toriel: I hope it doesn’t take long...

                A few seconds later, Toriel turned to see the place and she felt the cell phone ring. Toriel took her cell phone from her bag and answered quickly.

Toriel: Hello? ... Frisk is there? ... Oh, thank you so much, I hope to see you soon.

                She hung up the relieved call, and turned to saw them more calmly.

Toriel: Undyne called me saying that she, Alphys and Mettaton are with Frisk. They managed to help her in time to come.

Papyrus: That's great, Majesty, I knew it was going to be all right.

                Papyrus was happy to know that Frisk would arrive soon and Sans, knowing that, didn’t dispense his curiosity about how Frisk would be dressed when she arrives at the party. He turned to the bar and asked Grillby to pour out a glass of his favorite drink, at least not to think about it, he would discard it in a martini glass.

                From Alphys's house, Undyne was wearing a white suit, Alphys in her lavender lacy dress, Mettaton wearing only a white coat of fur, decorated with bright stones and he was helping Frisk down. She was wearing the dress she had won along with two heels and she had difficulty walking with them. Her hair was stuck in a bun, leaving a few strands of her hair loose on the side of her face. Her fringe was fastened to the side by a golden barrette. The wicks had curls and her makeup was light. Mettaton was excited to introduce her to the party as he led her to the limo. As soon as everyone entered, the limousine walked to the party place.

                It was nine o'clock at night and they came last, Mettaton should open the party and then, he take Frisk behind the stage without anyone noticing, as Undyne and Alphys entered through the main gate and Toriel and the others saw them.

Toriel: There you are... Where is Frisk?

Undyne: You'll see her soon.

                After that, the spotlights rose, illuminating the stage. Everyone turned their attention to the stage where Mettaton was and he picked up a microphone to speak.

Mettaton: Good evening, my beloved fans! Thank you all for attending my great party, and welcome our great guest. Palms for tonight's star!

                Everyone broke into applause and Frisk took a deep breath before entering the stage. She stepped out of the curtains and began to walk to the middle of the stage, making the spotlight illuminate her. The guests were dazzled to see it and applauded even more, pulling out several whistles, Frisk started waving to everyone and smiled cheerfully.

                Meanwhile, Grillby saw that Sans was still looking at the Martini glass and wasn’t paying attention. He then touched his shoulder, pointing to the stage. Sans saw what Grillby wanted to show and turned to look, he saw Frisk totally different and he looked at her in amazement, he had never seen her like this before. Surrounded by various monsters and humans, she was elegant and displayed a sincere and cheerful smile to all who looked at her. Sans began to wonder where was that girl he had met underground, instead he was seeing a woman there. Smiling to himself, he saw that Frisk was no longer a child as he always called. He wanted to know her even more as he looked at her.

                Frisk searched where her friends were and to her surprise, they were all near the bar, staring in amazement. She also saw Sans looking at her and her face lightly flushed, thinking what he should be thinking of her at that moment. She waved at them all from a distance. Meanwhile, Papyrus was glowing and admiring her new look.

Papyrus: Wowie! She is so beautiful! Don’t you think that?

Sans: Yeah... They did a good job.

                Sans turned back to the bar and asked Grillby for another drink. Papyrus also turned back, thinking to himself, and then he decided to ask his brother something.

Papyrus: ... What kind of man would make her type?

                Before Sans put the goblet in his mouth, he soon wondered at his brother's question and began to laugh, putting the cup quickly in place.

Sans: Hehe... Have you thought of it so fast?

Papyrus: I DIDN’T MEAN IT!... I mean... When I saw her dressed like that, I thought she deserved someone who made her feel happy.

                Sans was surprised to see the face of his brother flushed, but it was being expected that Frisk would catch the attention of the men, when arranged that way.

Sans: You're right, and why not someone like the Great Papyrus?

Papyrus: Don’t be silly! There is no one like the Great Papyrus! That’s impossible!

Sans: It's true...

Papyrus: But… surely the second best would be perfect for her!

                From there, Papyrus saw her again and began to think about who would be the best candidate to conquer her. Meanwhile, Mettaton opened the stage to start the dance ball and Frisk left the stage to see everyone who hadn’t seen her for a long time. The first couple who entered the stage were Asgore and Toriel, they opened the waltz ball dancing in the middle and then Alphys and Undyne joined them. Little by little, the couples entered the dance floor and began to dance.

                Papyrus was thrilled to hear the music and seeing everyone dancing, he wanted to find someone to dance to. From a distance, he saw Mettaton approaching them and Papyrus rushed over to him to invite him to dance. Seeing the gleam in his eyes, Mettaton didn’t think twice and pulled him by the fist as he approached Sans.

Mettaton: ... All you have to do is call her to dance.

                Sans didn’t answer him, just scowled at the sight of him pulling his brother to dance. When he saw them on stage, he heard Grillby intervene.

Grillby: ... I agree.

Sans: What?

Grillby: You were the one who protected her from the start, that's the least they’d expect.

Sans: And what else?

Grillby: ... It's not up to me, it's up to you whether or not you want to dance with her.

                Sans only sighed as he rested his head with his right hand, holding the glass with his left hand. In the background, Frisk was walking away from the stage when she saw Sans sitting by the bar. Before approaching him, she had to take the courage to go and stay there until the ball was over. As she approached the bar, Grillby raised her head and watched her approach, and Sans heard her footsteps approach.

Frisk: ... Sans?

                She put her hand on his shoulder slowly and Sans quickly turned to see her, sketching his normal smile.

Sans: ... What’s up?

Frisk: I knew I would find you here.

Sans: Hehe, I couldn’t stop being in my favorite place.

Frisk: And it's good to see you again, Grillby.

                Grillby just nodded and Sans drank his last drink from the glass, remaining seated. Frisk approached the bar and sat down beside him, looking at him briefly.

Frisk: You looked cool in a sweater.

Sans: Heh... You're well dressed today.

Frisk: ... Thank you...

                They remained silent, Frisk showed a silly smile as she looked at the bench. Seeing the two in silence, Grillby decided to leave them alone and left the bar. A few seconds passed and Sans decided to break the silence.

Sans: And you? Aren’t you going to dance?

Frisk: Well... The stage is very full and I don’t feel very well close to many people.

Sans: I know that excuse. Don’t you want to admit you don’t know how to dance?

Frisk: No! It's just that... Well...

Sans: ... Didn’t you have parties like that in the capital?

Frisk: Yes... They tried to teach me several times, I have no way to do that.

                Sans noticed that she was frustrated at not being able to dance, so he tried to cheer her up.

Sans: It's not as difficult as it sounds, I'll help you if you want.

Frisk: ... Do you know how to dance?

Sans: Paps taught me, I pick up fast so that's no problem for me.

Frisk: You're lucky.

Sans: So you want to try the next song?

Frisk: Okay, I'll be right back.

                She got up excitedly and headed for the bathroom quickly, she could hardly believe she was about to dance with him, just thinking about it, she felt her heart pounding. When she finally got to the bathroom, she saw a group of monsters talking to each other. Frisk walked to one of the free places and could hear them talking loudly.

Girl 1: ... Did you hear about the new college professor?

Girl 2: I heard he came to the party.

                Frisk started to act more quietly as she lifted her dress. For some reason, she was curious to hear what they were saying.

Girl 3: ... What's his name?

Girl 1: Sans, the skeleton.

Girl 2: Yeah, he's handsome.

Frisk: "He's pretty popular with girls, apparently. Why am I surprised?"

Girl 3: I remember that a teacher went out with him once, she was super anxious.

Girl 1: And how was it?

Girl 3: ... I don’t know. The next day she wasn’t well, maybe they broke faster.

Girl 2: Ah... He seems to have no way with women.

Girl 1: It's still my dream to go out with him!

Girl 3: Not me, I don’t want to go out with someone who has already left with several.

                Frisk heard them leave the bathroom quickly. After hearing that conversation, Frisk felt sick to know that. She didn’t know that Sans had multiple cases and didn’t expected he would be single forever. Realizing how naive she had been, Frisk felt her stomach ache, she didn’t want to be more one of several women with whom he left as she began to feel disgust at the thought of it. Meanwhile, at the counter, Grillby had returned when he saw Sans still sitting and Frisk was gone.

Grillby: ... And how was it?

Sans: I called her; I said I could dance for her to accept.

Grillby: ... You lied?

He looked seriously at Sans, not believing what he had done, while Sans tried to calm him, sweating coldly at the sight of him staring that way.

Sans: Hey! Don’t look at me like that; it's just a dance...

Grillby: ... I'm not going to keep talking about what to do, but here's some advice: if you really think about going out with her, I suggest you start looking at her with other eyes.

Sans: Nah, she's going to find someone on the same level as hers.

                Even annoyed at his attitude, Grillby was still his friend under any circumstances and believed that with her return, Sans would do it right this time. Soon, the music on stage was over and everyone left. Undyne and Alphys went to Sans.

Undyne: Did you see where Frisk went?

Sans: She went to the toilet.

Alphys: The next song will start in a few minutes, Mettaton wants her to dance this time.

Sans: Well, she must be waiting for me, I'm going.

                He got up and walked close to the stage to wait for her. At that moment, Frisk had left the bathroom and had yet to dance to the next song. She wasn’t so excited like as she left the bar, but since she had accepted the invitation, she had to go there. Frisk spotted Sans near the stage and walked to him, smiling slightly, but her eyes weren’t sincere as her smile. She waited for Mettaton to announce the next song beside him and Sans noticed that she was looking distantly.

Sans: Are you okay?

Frisk: ... Yes, I am.

                She turned to him and smiled again, saying there was nothing to worry about. She looked normal and seeing her smiling, he smiled back. Internally, Sans felt uneasy about himself, or she was faking it or he unaccustomed to read her face.

                Mettaton didn’t take long and went to the stage again to ask for the next dance song, announcing that Frisk will dance. The lights gradually dimmed and Sans offered his hand to Frisk to hold it as the two of them went halfway across the stage. Everyone went around the stage to watch them dance and Frisk looked only at his sweater as Sans tried to find her eyes. As soon as the song began, she looked at him as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Sans put his hand on her waist and they both began to dance at a slow pace.

                While they danced, their friends watched the dance, excited, especially Alphys and Mettaton, who kept taking photos. Frisk couldn’t look at him for several seconds as she looked sideways discreetly, feeling ashamed for being watched by the eyes of all the guests. As she danced, Frisk couldn’t understand why they were celebrating her presence so much. She felt insecure without her powers and it left her looking away again.

Sans: Now you can’t deny... What are you thinking?

Frisk: ... I've been thinking about my badge... It's broken.

Sans: Uh... I'm sorry.

Frisk: Do you think I’ll get it back?

Sans: I think so, until then you're going to need a bodyguard, aren’t you?

                Sans made her drop and rotated her slightly and put her hands back in the same place, increasing the speed of the steps. Frisk felt nervous at hearing what he had said and at the same time, she didn’t want to appear surprised.

Frisk: ... I don’t want to cause problems for you.

Sans: … Uh? Did I say something wrong?

Frisk: I hope you don’t wonder what I'm going to ask, but... Do you have a girlfriend?

                He didn’t cease to be surprised and laughed discreetly; Frisk looked at him startled and hoped she hadn’t gone too far.

Sans: Hehehe... I don’t have one, if you want to know.

                Frisk swallowed hard and couldn’t longer look at him, trying not to laugh, her heart began racing again and she realized that she had been acting silly. Sans found it funny to see her act like that and once again he had her let go to rotate her, and this time, he caught her by the back as he tilted her slightly back, flushing her to look at him. The music was over at that hour and everyone applauded that dance. Frisk stood up with his help, embarrassed and walked off the stage without looking back, she didn’t expect to have been so close to him and at the same time, it was so good, she could only smile to herself.

                As she was steeped in her thoughts, she heard someone calling from the other side. Curiously, she turned to see who had called her. Suddenly, she felt the time began to walk slowly as she saw a black ghost with a white head in the middle of the people. He turned his face to see her, and Frisk was puzzled when she recognized him. Gaster was there at the party watching her and no one around him could see him.

                At the same moment, the lights went out completely and everyone began to scream, running all around to find a way out. Asgore and Toriel used fire magic to light the place and Grillby left the bar to turn on the emergency lights. There was total chaos, Frisk felt herself being pushed as she ran toward them until she felt she had found a hiding place. From a distance, her name was called by several people, but she didn’t know where to go.


	15. Amalgamates

                When Grillby turned the lights back on, everyone saw the place was emptying out and there was no sign of Frisk nearby. After searching desperately everywhere, Toriel caught sight of Frisk in a corner of the bathroom and called her, gathering her in her arms. Frisk saw Toriel on the bathroom door and hugged her, trembling.

Toriel: It’s okay ... We have you now.

                Suddenly, they heard various noises and strange sounds flooding the place. A scream echoed in the hall at the same time and Toriel and Frisk ran to see what was happening. They saw some of those bizarre monsters invading the place through the windows. Alphys was curled up in a corner of the bar and Undyne tried to comfort her, but it wasn’t enough. She was growing more agonized.

Alphys: No, no, no ... This can’t be happening...

Toriel: Take her out; we'll take care of them.

                Alphys didn’t want to leave the place, but Grillby had to insist and ended up taking her outside. Frisk followed them but she saw one of the monsters falling from the ceiling window, landing near her and making her jump back. Toriel immediately helped Frisk to get up before the monster reached her. Whoever was inside that hall stared at the eccentric monsters surrounding them. There inside were Frisk with Toriel, Asgore, Undyne, Papyrus and Mettaton.

Papyrus: ... Hey! Where's Sans?

Undyne: We don’t have time for this!

                Toriel hastily pulled Frisk’s badge from her purse and handed it to her. Frisk stared at her badge in her hands, not understanding why.

Toriel: My daughter... I know it distresses you, but even without your powers, can you help us?

Frisk: ... I wish I could help...

                Undyne soon turned to Frisk and saw her badge broken, then Undyne placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

Undyne: Don’t worry punk, we'll do it for you.

Frisk: ... Right.

Asgore: Now, transform.

                With the exception of Frisk, they all agreed and took up their emblems, stretching out loud and proclaiming aloud.

"Power of light, guide me!"

                Soon, the energy of their emblems illuminated the hall and this time, Frisk saw them transforming. It had been a long time since she had seen them coming into action and for a moment, she missed being part of that circle. After they were all transformed, they were illuminated by the aura of each color and each one said his staff.

Asgore: I am the Guardian of Patience, I carry the shield of desolate souls.

Undyne: I am the Guardian of Bravery, I will make you pay for the pain you caused.

Papyrus: I am the Guardian of Kindness, I will remind you of your essence.

Mettaton: I am the Guardian of Integrity, your malevolence will be under my feet.

Toriel: I am the Guardian of Perseverance, I will guide you in the path of purity.

                After they had finished speaking, they looked each other in surprise. Frisk didn’t realize that it would bring good memories to see the joy of all.

Papyrus: Wowie! I can hardly believe we will fight again!

Mettaton: That's music to my ears.

                But the feeling was soon dispelled when they saw all those monsters approaching them, including the Memoryheads. The guardians gathered and began to look at them one by one.

Undyne: Any plan?

Toriel: I need you to surround them so I can keep their minds quiet.

Asgore: I will protect Frisk.

Undyne: Alright, let’s go!

                Undyne was the first to advance against the monster she had faced before without success. She summoned her spear, making quick movements to make it retreat, but the monster used his force to grab the blade and throw it away. Seeing this, Undyne used her fists to punch several punches at him. After several attempts, the monster managed to block her fists with their own and both began to fight for strength by the fists. At that moment, the monster stared at her and showed her jaws, Undyne decided to use her fury and they both started yelling at each other. Her strength had increased with her fury, managing to push the monster back. When he hit the wall, she jumped on him and concentrated her energy on her right fist, punching him with such force that she sent him to another corner of the room, leaving him fainted.

                Mettaton was looking at the big thin-bodied monster with one huge eye. That monster kept staring at him, watching the robot walk around.

Mettaton: But what a big eye you have... Is it to see me parade better?

                The monster felt confused at his words as he continued to watch Mettaton parading in circles. They could hear noises of chains on the floor following him.

Mettaton: Oh, don’t you know how to parade? I'll teach you. Use your legs and walk gracefully, dare to get the attention of the stage and do your best pose, come on, try!

                As the monster began to move, he felt the chains catch his legs. Instantly, the chains wrapped around his body and the monster fell to the ground, trapped and chained. Mettaton was holding the chains, immobilizing him.

Mettaton: I said graceful, not clumsy, your parade just went to the pit.

                Papyrus was facing the faceless dog, standing and looking at him. As both stared each other, Papyrus invoked his two bones, which he usually wore as swords and prepared to attack him. When the dog saw the two bones he held, he became very agitated and began to tremble with anxiety. The cats in his body began to growl sharply and Papyrus had to settle for the hypothesis of using his bones as bait.

Papyrus: I didn’t want to do this, but I have no choice. Take it!

                He merged his two bones perpendicularly and threw them at the dog; he quickly picked up the boomerang and laid it on the floor, licking them in a weird way. Papyrus felt disgusted seeing that and took his frying pan to launch the attack.

Papyrus: Kindness, Master Chef Attack!

                Spaghetti sauce came out of the frying pan going towards the distracted dog; then, the dog was hit and thrown against the wall. Listening to the dog whining, Papyrus saw the two bones on the floor with strange ooze and went to them, picking them up by the end and trying to clean, awkwardly.

Papyrus: Urgh... I’ll never do that again in my life.

                Meanwhile Asgore and Frisk were with the three Memoryheads they had seen before, they continued to utter incomprehensible sounds as they slowly approached, surrounding them. They both began to think of a way to distract them.

Asgore: Do you have any idea?

Frisk: I'm still thinking...

                The Memoryheads soon began to throw particles of energy at them and Asgore used his shield magic, while Frisk remained hidden behind; the particles bounced against the magic shield, flying the other way in scattered directions. Seeing this, Frisk looked at the stage and saw the mirrors that reflected the light coming from the spotlight; soon, she had an idea and ran to the stage. Asgore watched her run from him and the monsters were teleporting to her.

Asgore: Frisk, watch out! They’ll come to you.

Frisk: Let them come!

Asgore: ... What are you going to do?

                Frisk saw the Memoryheads approaching her and she drew her heels to throw against them, but they easily strayed. As she ran to the stage, she jumped onto it and ran into the curtains to get a light reflecting mirror behind it. The same monsters teleported to and surrounded her, again they intented to attack with particles of light. Asgore had come behind them when he saw her holding a concave mirror against the Memoryheads.

Asgore: Watch out!

                As soon as they fired their particles, Frisk hid behind the mirror and positioned it so the particles hit the mirror and were reflected upwards, reaching the base that supported the curtains and breaking them. The curtain eventually fell on the monsters without them noticing and Frisk immediately jumped up to hold the curtain on them. Asgore saw her act and ran to hold them, while Frisk grabbed a rope to tie the improvised sack; he soon realized that she had set up a plan for them. He looked fascinated at Frisk.

Asgore: That was brilliant.

Frisk: ... Thank you.

                Toriel stood in front of the molten bird, waiting for some movement. But he was so depressed he didn’t want to attack, making only a chill wind around him. Toriel was surprised by this behavior and decided not to attack him until he tried to do anything. Asgore and Frisk ran up to the others and left the sack near all the monsters in the corner of the room. Finally, Toriel summoned her book in front of them and opened it, leafing through several pages quickly, as she spread her hands in front of the book and into them.

Toriel: Perseverance, Psychic field.

                A circle of magic invoked around them, keeping them unconscious. Frisk looked at them at that hour and Toriel went to Frisk, interrupting her.

Toriel: My daughter, can you feel if they were possessed?

Frisk: I don’t know, but I can try.

                Frisk walked slowly toward them, trying to feel something. She wondered how she would feel any evil presence around them. Thinking again of her powers, she picked up her broken badge as Frisk tried to focus on it, asking for help. Standing there for minutes, she reached out her hand to feel some malignant presence between them. Even so, she felt nothing. Confused and desperate, she thought her powers had indeed vanished and she lowered her hand, defeated.

Frisk: ... I can’t.

Asgore: Frisk, don’t give up! Your powers are still there!

Toriel: It was you who woke us up again.

Papyrus: I believe you can do it human!

Undyne: You don’t have to depend on your badge, nerd.

Mettaton: Believe you have a star inside you.

                She indeed wanted to give up, but seeing how much her friends cared so much about her, and they also had a reason to insist, Frisk no longer thought to give up and tried to focus again on her powers. Placing her hand beneath her chest, she tried to remember the purpose in which she had been charged. It meant to protect the monsters from the darkness, but now, it was no longer the lives of the monsters that were at stake, but of all: humans and monsters. Being certain of this, she looked at both her hands and saw the same choices appear before her, a knife and a star.

Frisk: "Fight to survive ... or spare your enemy?"

                She looked again at those monsters who were surrounded and unconscious and Frisk wondered if she really could let them live in that state. As she stared at the star in her hand, Frisk considered for a moment. If she spares them, would they threaten humans again? How would the monsters react to that situation? Faced with a difficult choice, she didn’t know which decision to follow. Also, Frisk refused to fight and she didn’t know whether saving was the best choice. Frisk began to feel pressure and saw her hands shake. Before she did something, suddenly someone appeared at the entrance of the hall pushing the doors and screaming, everyone looked back to see who was there.

Alphys: Stop! Please, don’t hurt them!

                Frisk recognized Alphys behind her and when she turned, her two options disappeared at that hour.

Undyne: Alphys, what are you doing?

                She didn’t respond and walked past them, in the direction where those monsters were. Alphys saw them unconscious within a brilliant circle and for a moment, she became desperate. Seeing her concern, Toriel made her magic dissipate and woke the monsters. One by one, they saw Alphys and approached her.

Alphys: Are you okay? Forgive me... I shouldn’t have abandoned you...

Undyne: ... But what?

Mettaton: Alphys? You know them?

                She turned to see her friends, they were confused and paralyzed to see her act this way with these creatures. Finally, Alphys took the courage to speak to them.

Alphys: I know... I owe you explanations, but please don’t hurt them anymore.

Toriel: And who are they?

                Alphys knew she was in bad shape, she could no longer hide the truth as she cared the creatures behind her.

Alphys: They are the monsters that were near death, used as test for an old experiment.

Asgore: Are you talking about... that research...?

Alphys: Yes... Unfortunately it didn’t work... As a result, they eventually melted and merged with each other. So I hid them so no one would find them, and that continued even when I moved to the surface.

                She turned her head slightly down, turning to the monsters behind her.

Alphys: I understand if you're mad at me, I don’t deserve your forgiveness...

                On hearing this, those monsters came close to her and didn’t hurt her; on the contrary, they came back and made strange sounds as one of the monsters ran a hand over her head and the dog tried to lick it eccentrically. Alphys laughed awkwardly and all her friends looked at her in surprise as she interacted with them. Frisk soon realized something that made perfect sense.

Frisk: ... They aren’t possessed.

                The guardians looked surprised at Frisk and understood that it made sense, those monsters still listened to Alphys. But there was still a doubt.

Undyne: So who sent them here?

Toriel: Leave the questions for later. We have to decide what to do with them sooner.

Alphys: If you'll let me... I'll take them back to their homes and I'll tell their families the truth.

                No one disagreed with her request, so Alphys turned to the monsters behind and smiled at them.

Alphys: Come on my friends, it's time to take you to your families.

                They were glad to hear they were going home and started following Alphys off the scene. As they made their way to the exit, a dense fog came around the place, darkening everything. Everyone looked startled at that, they saw the creatures behind Alphys surrounded by a black smoke and swallowed them all, until they disappeared. Soon, that mist disappeared gradually, returning to light and Alphys couldn’t believe what she saw, likewise, everyone didn’t understand what happened.

Papyrus: ... Where did they go?

Undyne: Didn’t I say? Now he took them back.

Alphys: No... What am I going to do? What if they don’t come back?

                Asgore quietly approached Alphys and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder to support her. Alphys was so tense that she was startled to feel someone touching her shoulder; she lifted her head to see Asgore, smiling at her.

Asgore: If you want our help, you'll have to tell us everything, understand?

Alphys: ... Yes.

Frisk: ... Alphys, I want to help you get them to their families.

Alphys: Frisk...

                Seeing that she was willing, Alphys saw that everyone agreed with Frisk. She now had the support of all and thanked them.

Alphys: Thank you... You don’t know how important this is to me. Meet me at the lab in the morning and I'll explain everything.

                They agreed and then, everyone left the hall. Although there was a total mess, Mettaton promised to pay for the damage. This was a restless night and as much as she had been reluctant to choose her way, Frisk thanked Alphys for explaining herself and telling about those monsters. That day, Frisk was happy to fight alongside her friends again. But bveryone realized that Sans wasn’t there during that meeting and Frisk wondered where he went during that time. He had disappeared as soon as Gaster had appeared nearby and he too had disappeared. Frisk hoped to see Sans soon to tell him about that night and ask where he had gone.

                Meanwhile, Sans was in the secret underground laboratory, striding, he seemed very nervous. In the midst of wreckage, he entered a secret room in the old lab and the place where the old machine was, was gone; there was a huge hole in it along with bits of plucked up pipes. Seeing this, he let out a sigh of indignation and teleported himself out of the core. He watched the outside and realized the consequences of the core exploded. With the heat gradually increasing, this could be the end of the underground and of the entire ecosystem of it. Sans soon clenched his fists and swore to himself.

Sans: This won’t end this way... When I find you... I'll destroy you.


	16. Gaster

                After his disappearance, Sans decided to return home. He was walking quietly and hoped that upon arrive; he wouldn’t have to find his brother awake, as Papyrus had long ceased to require his brother to read good evening stories. When Sans was about to open the door, someone had already done it and to his surprise, Papyrus was waiting for him, remarkably angry with his brother. Sans tried to disguise his surprise.

Sans: Heya bro. Needing your good night stories?

Papyrus: Very funny... Where have you been?

                He knew he was gone at the wrong time, but Sans didn’t want to tell his brother where he really was. He scratched his head as he searched for an excuse.

Sans: ... I was shoved with the others out and couldn’t get back; and I ended up taking one of the girls to her house because she was scared...

Papyrus: I don’t believe your lies, Sans! It's good you tell me the truth.

Sans: But it's true, look.

                He picked up his cell phone and ended up showing a message from one of the girls at the party, saying “Thanks for bringing me home.” Seeing that, Papyrus sighed, looking less surprised and letting him enter in the house.

Papyrus: I expected more from you, Sans. Those monsters had appeared there again. If it weren’t for the human, we wouldn’t know what might have happened.

Sans: I'm surprised you don’t need me.

Papyrus: But we didn’t defeat them, they disappeared! Someone made that happen and we don’t know who.

                But Sans knew who the whole incident belonged, he knew Gaster was around and knowing that he’d come back left his mind turbulent, but he didn’t want to worry his brother with this news, because it wouldn’t bring good memories for both of them. Papyrus saw him strangely and questioned him.

Papyrus: What happened to you?

Sans: ... It's nothing, I'm just tired.

Papyrus: Well, tomorrow we have to see Alphys at her lab. She knows those monsters and will tell us everything about them, so it's good to get up early.

Sans: Ok bro...

Papyrus: I'm serious!

Sans: Okay, good night.

                They both went to their rooms and Sans sat on his bed, thinking about what had just happened today. During the party, after seeing Frisk running away, he turned around laughing, but when he did, Sans had a bad feeling right away. He looked back at Frisk and saw that she was standing, staring at the side statically. Sans looked in the same direction and saw Gaster standing there, looking at her grimly. It was like his worst nightmare haunting him again. There was only one reason he would come back, and determined to stop him, Sans wouldn’t rest until he defeated him for himself.

                And when the lights went out instantly, he teleported out of the room and saw a dark haze fleeing. He would have narrowly reached him if Sans hadn’t bumped into anyone. It was a woman who was late for the party. As excuse, he decided to take her home and get her phone number, not out of interest, but to use it to say why he had disappeared without speaking.

                It was morning when everyone gathered at Alphys' house. Undyne was the first to arrive, shortly after, Asgore, Toriel and Frisk came, they waited in the house until they saw Papyrus and Sans arriving last.

Papyrus: I’m sorry for the delay, I’m not usually late, but my brother ended up sleeping on midway.

Sans: … Sorry.

                Everyone looked to see the two brothers coming, but the center of attention was Sans, who had disappeared last night.

Toriel: And where were you yesterday?

Sans: I ended up being pushed out, and well… I ended taking one of the girls to her house.

                Hearing this, they all sighed indignantly, but deep down, Frisk heard that and felt upset, turning her head away and feeling disgusted with herself. Confirming what the girls in the bathroom had said about him, Frisk started calling him an idiot in her thoughts and didn’t know if she was angry with him or herself for having feelings for him.

                It wasn’t long before they saw Alphys leaving the lab. She stopped and greeted everyone, asking them to follow her. Inside the lab, there were several computer screens, glass jars and stacked folders. Mettaton was already inside waiting for them and Alphys approached one of the tables to pick up a folder containing several annotated records, and then, she handed it to Frisk to see. Asgore, Toriel, Undyne and Mettaton were curious to see what was written inside.

Alphys: In this folder, there are all the records I made about them from the beginning, the experiments, tests, results… everything.

                Aware of what she would find there, Frisk opened the folder and found several records written on each day and the appointed time of the event, as she began to read to whoever was around.

Frisk: "Register one: I must find a way to break the barrier... I have other humans here who have fallen and haven’t survived, if they have that power, I will find out ..."

                Frisk continued to read, surprised to learn that there were other humans who fell underground before her, but she must have known that this was nothing new. In the record it was also written that Alphys was able to extract the source of the power of the humans, and with that, it was possible to control the artifact. She gave to this the name of "determination", as it was said in the legend. Alphys intended to use this determination to create a hybrid soul. But to see if it would work, she needed guinea pigs to test her theory, and she received several bodies of monsters that were near death.

                Since she couldn’t simply extract their souls, she injected the determination into the monsters and they continued to rest until the next day. And when they awoke, everyone was normal. Alphys realized that the determination gave them one more chance to live and they acted normally with each other. But something started to go wrong, she saw the monsters start to melt and they became liquefied monsters, mingling with each other until they got enough consistency to stand up, she gave them the name "Amalgamates." After that, Frisk closed the folder and everyone was shocked at what they read.

Frisk: Alphys... I'm so sorry...

Alphys: Now that you know... I couldn’t tell their families what happened to them. If they saw them like this, I... I… I was a failure as a scientist, I couldn’t find a way to bring the artifact and...

                At that moment, everyone looked startled at what she said and hearing that she said she was a failure, Undyne and Mettaton were outraged.

Undyne: You're not a failure, Alphys.

Mettaton: If you say that again, I'll put you to work in my restaurant.

Papyrus: And I'll cook spaghetti for you for a month!

                She was startled to hear such replies, realizing that she had overreacted. Deep down, Alphys knew that working at the Mettaton restaurant was not cool by customer demand. She apologized and bowed her head in regret. At last, she saw Asgore and Toriel approaching her.

Asgore: Alphys ... I'm really glad you told us the truth.

Toriel: Are you aware of the punishment that will come upon you for this?

Alphys: ... I know, and I'm willing to pay for my mistake.

Toriel: So... Once we find a way to return them to their families, you’ll be dismissed from the position of Royal Scientist.

                Alphys was sad to know what would come to her, but she knew she did the right thing by telling the truth, seeing that they understood in the end. Frisk soon turned to Alphys to learn more about the Amalgamates.

Frisk: And what else happened?

Alphys: I did some studies with their bodies and I’d found they could live longer than normal, they were stronger than an ordinary monster, but few of them managed to control such power.

Frisk: … Got it.

                Meanwhile, Papyrus turned to his brother excitedly, speaking what he had remembered about yesterday.

Papyrus: Sans ... It's a shame you’d lost as the human fought bravely yesterday. She became a genius like the Great Papyrus.

Asgore: Yes, it’s true.

Sans: Oh yeah? Looks like I was wrong.

Frisk: I said I didn’t want to cause problems for you.

Sans: Okay…

                Sans shrugged nonchalantly and Frisk turned, opening the folder to continue reading. She didn’t want to look at him in anger, but she couldn’t deny her heart, becoming embarrassed to remember their last talk during the dance. Mettaton and Alphys sensed her reaction and assumed the situation, looking at each other maliciously. Undyne approached Frisk and patted her back to cheer her up.

Undyne: Hey nerd… Did something happen?

Frisk: No... I'm fine.

                As soon as Frisk leafed through the next page, there was an old record that it was impossible to understand what was written, it was all in drawn symbols.

Frisk: I can’t understand this...

Alphys: Oh... I forgot one of them was written on these symbols, I'll turn on the translator.

                She went to the computer and dialed for a while until the translator was turned on. Frisk handed the paper to her and Alphys searched the computer for the translation. When she found it, she reproduced the audio of the robot.

                _“Register #17: Dark... darker... yet darker... The darkness continues growing... The shadows cutting deeper... Negative photon reading... This next experiment... It seems to be... Very very... Interesting...”_

                Reading this record left everyone perplexed; Frisk understood that this record had come from that person, making her tense. Papyrus was distressed to hear the translation, not knowing what to say, he began to feel dread, as if he was about to remember something he never wanted to. And Sans began to sweat with nervousness, he didn’t expect Gaster to be there, spying on them; he closed his fist and began to watch every corner of the lab. Asgore looked at everyone's reaction and immediately tried to calm them down.

Asgore: Please... I don’t think there's a chance he's alive.

Alphys: But I've never seen this record here, how did it appear?

                As she searched deeper into the computer, sparks began to emerge and it began to work alone. Alphys was puzzled to see this scene and all the televisions lost the image. She stepped one back and joined the others. Then, everyone joined together looking around, surrounded by televisions with the blurred image.

Alphys: ... What's going on?

                The laboratory lights began to blink eerily for a few seconds. As soon as the lights stabilized, the screens also reproduced a black image with some symbols in the middle of the screen, written in the same strange language. They could also hear a strange voice coming up.

Gaster: _“... It's a pleasure to meet the guardians... and the human.”_

                They all heard that voice unbelieved, the only ones who didn’t recognize the voice were Undyne and Mettaton, who looked confused at the scattered screens.

Undyne: Who are you?

                The others, except for Frisk, realized that he was alive. Frisk remembered when he appeared to her personally as she whispered his name.

Frisk: ... Gaster...

Gaster: _“It's always a pleasure to hear it, human... It doesn’t last long to get your soul and control the artifact.”_

Sans: You won’t get what you want.

                They all turned to look at him, noting that he had shown his anger. Sans had a look of fury in his eyes and Gaster recognized his voice, speaking through the computer screen.

Gaster: _“Oh ... it seems my assistant is here...”_

Sans: I'm not your assistant.

Gaster: _“Sure, Sans... How do you feel… contradicting what you did to me? Don’t you remember who you were in the past?”_

Sans: … Shut up.

                He was visibly angry at the provocation of the old scientist, leaving Frisk even more frightened. She didn’t know his past and didn’t deny that she was curious to know.

Frisk: What are you talking about?

Gaster: _“... Ask your friends, those who hid his true identity. I assure you, human... When you know the truth, I don’t think you’ll want to be protected by him.”_

Frisk: ... What?

                For a moment they all stared at him, perplexed, except for Alphys and Asgore, who stared sadly aside, avoiding contact with the rest. Sans kept staring at one of the screens and closed his fist. His anger was increasing even more, swearing to himself that he would personally go after him. While he saw his brother reacting that way, Papyrus became frightened and didn’t understand him, not even what Gaster was talking about.

Papyrus: ... Sans? What did you do?

Gaster: _“... I think your brother should know the truth too, after all... “He doesn’t deserve to go through this ...””._

Sans: SHUT UP NOW YOU SICK MAN!

                Immediately his left eye activated in anger and he extended his arm in front of one of the screens. Several bones went toward the larger screen of the room, destroying it. Everyone took a fright seeing his reaction and after that, a laugh in the background appeared, fading away. They now knew that Gaster was alive, but the most important thing now is to keep Frisk safe from him.

                After he disappeared, Sans took a breath and knew he had gotten out of control, now he didn’t want to face anyone after this event. He figured he would have to explain himself sometime along with Alphys and Asgore, who will probably tell what they know. As everyone pondered what had just happened, Alphys interrupted everyone's thoughs.

Alphys: It's okay... I can get another screen...

Toriel: ... We'd better go home now. We'll talk about this later.

                Asgore, Toriel, and Frisk retreated first and before they left the room, Frisk looked back, not believing what she’d heard, but Asgore put his hand on her shoulder and she turned back, leaving the lab. As they walked, Frisk had saddened; she couldn’t imagine who Sans really was and she knew that since the beginning, he protected her even with his life. Frisk really wanted to know about his past, and if it was so bad, she figured Sans wouldn’t tell it. After the three retired, Undyne left the lab afterwards and Papyrus and Sans left last, each group going their home.


	17. Past

                At the skeleton brothers' house, Papyrus was preparing his lunch quietly until he finished it. He looked satisfactorily at his ready-made food and left his gloves and apron in the kitchen, going to Sans's room to call him. Coming close, he knocked on the door.

Papyrus: Sans? Come on, lunch is ready.

Sans: Okay.

                Suddenly, he remembered the previous event and how he saw Sans furious as he listened to Gaster between several computer screens. He knew it wasn’t wise to talk about it, but inside him, Papyrus felt he knew him as much as his brother, but the more he tried to remember, the worse he felt. Intrigued by what was happening in his head, he decided to knock on the door once more.

Papyrus: Sans?... Can I enter?

                Sans used his magic to unlock the door and he saw Papyrus open it, entering his room, apprehensive. On the other hand, Papyrus was watching Sans sitting up in bed, taciturn and serious. Papyrus closed the door and a strange atmosphere appeared in the place, leaving them in silence for a few seconds until one of them began to speak.

Papyrus: I... I don’t want to force you to talk about it, but...

                Sans sighed deeply and imagined that his brother wanted him to explain everything. Honestly, Sans never wished to have to tell him the truth about their past. But now, he knew he couldn’t hide anything else, he even hoped his brother would respect his decision. Before even opening his jaw, Papyrus interrupted him, speaking what he thought.

Papyrus: ... Sans, you're my brother and I know you more than anyone else. I may not remember this Gaster, but you know what? I don’t care what you did in the past, Sans! I know you're not bad! And I'm sure the human thinks the same of you!

                Sans looked at his brother suddenly, startled by his words. He couldn’t describe the immense relief he felt at that moment. Sans stopped glancing at his brother as he smiled slightly.

Sans: Heh... Thanks Paps... I may no longer be who I was, but he remains the same... He will go after her without hesitation and if he gets what he wants... Everything will be over.

Papyrus: What are you saying, brother?

Sans: If he gets the artifact, everything we've built so far will be destroyed, not even what Frisk did would have any meaning...

_"...We would even cease to exist..."_

Papyrus: Are you saying that this would never have happened?

Sans: Yeah...

Papyrus: And... Do you think we can get him back to normal?

                After hearing the question, Sans sighed again. It wasn’t the same as when Frisk expelled the darkness of the monsters; he knew Gaster and knew he wasn’t possessed, he WAS like that. Telling the truth would probably disappoint his brother, but he had to accept it.

Sans: ... No Paps, he's not possessed; he always had been like that... Obsessed by power. There's only one way to stop him...

_“...Exterminating him.”_

                Hearing that, Papyrus became in shock. He didn’t expect that now they should kill someone to ensure everyone's safety. At that moment, Papyrus felt his chest burn with frustration; he just couldn’t accept it coming from him.

Papyrus: Sans... I don’t think killing would be the right thing...

Sans: Well... I can’t make you think like me, Paps. You're too naive to understand.

Papyrus: But, Sans...

Sans: Is lunch ready? Better get going, if not, it can cool down.

                Immediately, after interrupting him, Sans got up and left the room to descend the ladder, as Papyrus followed him, bored. He didn’t know how to make Sans change his mind and hoped there was a way to stop him. Meanwhile, at the royal family's house, Frisk was having lunch with her parents at the table. Being pensive, she barely touched her plate as she reflected about the event in the laboratory. Both Asgore and Toriel saw her acting strange and wondered if she was still thinking about what had happened. For a moment, Frisk heard Toriel interrupt.

Toriel: ...Are you enjoying lunch?

Frisk: ... Yeah, it's great.

Asgore: If you don’t eat soon, it can get cold.

                She smiled and looked back at the dish that was still intact. She couldn’t help but think about what Gaster had said. What he had mentioned about Sans bothered her a lot. Frisk sighed loudly and her smile fell, she set the cutlery on the plate and kept her head down.

Frisk: Sorry... I'm not really hungry.

Toriel: ... Are you still thinking about what you've seen before?

Frisk: I... I can’t believe what I heard. After all he did... Why?

                Her parents didn’t know what to say that time and looked each other worriedly. Frisk didn’t expect an answer and soon realized that she couldn’t have said such things without knowing the truth.

Frisk: What I'm talking about... I can’t say I really know you… I don’t know anyone's past.

Asgore: Frisk, don’t think it should be your obligation to know. Unfortunately we have no control over the consequences that come from the past.

Frisk: But I thought the past didn’t matter anymore...

Asgore: I'd like to agree, but unfortunately I can’t say that...

                Frisk stopped when Asgore had interrupted her, showing his look of sadness. She looked at him, frightened and soon understood what he had said. He and Toriel had a tragic past in the same way and they didn’t know that Frisk knew their story.

Frisk: I'm sorry, I didn’t mean...

Toriel: It's okay, Frisk.

                After they apologized, they continued their lunch in silence. Frisk kept looking at her plate, wondering why Gaster had said those things. She really wanted to know what Sans did in the past and she had to find a way to convince him to tell. Frisk wasn’t content to always be protected in this situation, so she felt determined.

                After they had finished their lunch, Toriel collected the dishes to go to the kitchen and Asgore and Frisk remained sat near the table, trying to find the courage to look at each other. Frisk had no idea who Gaster was, and why knowing of his existence drew fear not only to skeleton brothers, but to his mates as well. She wanted to know him, or rather; she felt she should know who he was.

Frisk: ...You know Gaster, right?

                Hearing the question, Asgore sighed slightly, feeling regret in his heart for some reason; reminding him made him sad.

Asgore: Yes... Gaster was the Real Scientist before Alphys; we were friends for many years. As I remember, he was the genius of science, he had built the core and made discoveries that further improved the lives of the monsters... But unfortunately, his choices led him to a destructive path.

Frisk: ...What do you mean?

Asgore: Gaster went to great lengths to discover the origin of the artifact and bring it to us. As a scientist, he was willing to break the prophecy of the legend and find a path which monsters could be released by his hands. He used every means he could use... even his life.

                From there, Frisk began to understand why Gaster was so obsessed with getting the artifact. He was able to die without discovering it and that was one more reason to chase after her. But there was still another question, she wanted to understand why Sans had acted so angry when she heard his voice.

Frisk: ... And why did he act like that? Why Sans said...

Asgore: I'm sorry, Frisk, I can’t talk about it.

                Frisk was intrigued to hear his response as she began to see him acting nervous and sweating cold. Asgore began to avoid looking at her more often.

Frisk: ...Why not?

Asgore: Please understand, we... we made a deal about it.

                He was even more nervous and didn’t want to tell Frisk the truth. It was enough for Toriel to be insistent with him now. Meanwhile, she clenched her fists and began to stare at him insistently; she wasn’t going to give up trying to convince him.

Frisk: ... Gaster is behind me, I need to know who he is and what he did... Please...

                Seeing her gaze of tenderness, Asgore eventually relented, even reluctantly.

Asgore: Uh… Okay ... This is going to be between us, okay?

                Frisk agreed immediately, and they both turned to look at the kitchen, listening to Toriel wash the dishes and muttering a song. They turned again to face each other and Asgore took a deep breath before counting.

Asgore: Sans was his assistant while Gaster was alive. What surprises me is that nobody knew him, except some of his students...

Frisk: "That’s why Alphys know him?"

Asgore: ... Anyway... The only one who really knew him was he. When Sans came upon me, he said there had an accident in the laboratory and Gaster had fallen into his creation. He told me all the things that they made, even what caused his death. He was willing to go back and work for me in another post and I promised I wouldn’t reveal his past in return.

                Hearing this, Frisk realized that Sans had some reason to have dropped out his past. She wanted to know why he had hatred of it and what Gaster did with him, and probably with Papyrus as well. She decided to know the truth, again as she felt determined.

Frisk: I need to know...

Asgore: Sorry, I can’t speak more than that.

Frisk: Then I'll talk to him.

                After that, Frisk got up and headed to her room, determined. Asgore stood up perplexed, and he hastily followed her.

Asgore: Frisk, I don’t think he's going to tell you. The last thing he wants is to tell his past to someone.

Frisk: But I need to know who Gaster was. I can find a way to stop him. Please, Dad...

                Asgore didn’t want to fall into her insistence anymore; he wanted Frisk to be safe and knew he was going too far, it was too risky to let her leave. He closed his fist and looked at her, reluctantly.

Asgore: I'm sorry Frisk, I can’t let you leave. You're safer here with your mother and me. Understand it... I'm doing it for your own good.

Frisk: But...

                Asgore turned his back on her and didn’t want to discuss it further. Frisk didn’t believe what she heard; she looked at him frightened for a moment and thinking twice, she didn’t want to have to argue with him. It was really risky to leave when Gaster was behind her around and Frisk couldn’t defend herself. Then, she turned, annoyed and went to her room, slamming the door. Asgore heard her going into her room and felt sorry for having forbidden her out, but he knew it was for her sake at that moment. Until there was a solution that would bring her powers back, he had to be sure she was safe. Meanwhile, Toriel found Asgore alone in the hallway and went to him, asking what had happened. After Asgore told her what had happened, Toriel understood, looking sadly.

Toriel: Well... I'll make a pie.

                Meanwhile, Frisk was in her room after a few hours, discontented with her. She didn’t want to stay there like a bird in the cage; Frisk had to find a way out, even if she had to "run away". Following her strategy, Frisk went to her window and seeing that the sun was setting and the wind blowing lightly, she began measuring the height from where she was with her own eye and estimated the height of the window to the ground.

Frisk: Good... Now I look like a princess running away from the castle...

                Before she jumped, Frisk thought for a moment that she didn’t want to hurt her parents by disobeying, but she felt if she didn’t do anything, it wouldn’t be resolved any time. She was determined to jump out of it and then, she grabbed the window jambs and put her legs out quietly. Frisk caught herself between the window frame and the relief on the wall of the house and she was one meter away from the ground. Trying not to look down, she counted to three and broke loose, falling to the floor.

                Frisk could say that she hurt her legs in the fall, but her concern that she hadn’t been discovered was bigger, making the pain disappear. She got up quickly and ran from her house, taking her bike and pedaling down the street, going to the skeleton brothers' house. She had to do it fast before Asgore and Toriel discovered that she had run away temporarily.


	18. Regret

                Frisk was pedaling fast before her parents found out she had run away. Arriving at the skeleton brothers' house, Frisk left her bike on the ground, going to the door quickly and knocked. A few seconds later, no one had answered, insistently she knocked again and received no reply.

Frisk: Where did they go this time?

                She couldn’t stand there waiting, so Frisk gave up waiting and picked up her bike again, wondering where else Sans might be. She recalled that Grillby had his bar a few feet away and probably Sans would be there. Relieved, Frisk began to pedal there. But in halfway, she saw a new building in the village. Frisk stopped her bicycle and became curious to see the new building they had there. Seeing more closely, Frisk discovered it was the university that was about to open. Curiously, she went in to look at the architecture of the place and even knowing that she was being careless at that moment, she was attentive in case Gaster or some amalgamate appeared.

                As she paced the grounds, watching the building from the outside, she began to hear shots and explosions in the background. Frightened, Frisk thought of leaving at that hour, but since she had already witnessed criminal investigations when she was at the embassy, instead of fleeing, she decided to investigate the place where these sounds appeared, being sure that if it was dangerous, she would leave there fast. Coming close, the sounds began to grow louder and Frisk realized that the shots were coming from an abandoned shed behind the college and she hid behind the shed wall, near a door. She approached without making a sound and opened it slowly, seeing who was causing the shots.

                She looked through the tiny opening that someone was there, his dark yellow pants, along with a leather-haired coat. Frisk swore she had seen someone in these robes before, but when she noticed the head better, Frisk recognized who he was.

                Sans was inside the shed, training his skills. He was convinced of his decision and didn’t underestimate what Gaster was capable of doing, so he was transformed. He would use all his energy to be able to defeat him. As part of his training, Sans randomly invoked bones that were heading toward him and quickly strayed from all the bullets that appeared from all sides, he used both his physical effort and his power to teleport. His aim was a wooden model of human form with a marking on the head. As soon as he had the chance to approach it, he would summon his bazooka in his left hand and point it at him. Before he fired, another wave of bones flew at him quickly, and Sans swerved with his last effort, not taking his sights on the statue.

Sans: Justice...

                His eye changed color to yellow and his bazooka charged with energy, the dragon's skull opened its jaw and from there, one could see the lightning that was about to shoot at the statue.

Sans: Final punishment!

                A thunderous shot came out of his gun, heading for the statue. Frisk covered her ears at the deafening sound coming from the explosion and released the door, making it creak and open even more. Both of them were startled at the sound of the door and Frisk tried to hold it back, at the same time, Sans pointed the gun at the door when he saw someone watching him. Frisk took a fright and released the door without stopping glancing at him, while Sans continued to stare at her seriously, without lowering his weapon.

Sans: ...Where did you first see me?

Frisk: Sans... What are you...

Sans: Answer!

Frisk: ...On the wooden bridge, going to Snowdin!

                For a moment Frisk didn’t understand why he had asked that question, she was too tense to respond as she had the gun aimed at her. Finally, she had given the answer he wanted and Sans lowered the gun, yet he didn’t know why Frisk was there.

Sans: ...What are you doing here? I thought it was someone in disguise.

Frisk: I... I've heard shots from afar.

Sans: And what hit your head to come here if you heard shots?

Frisk: It doesn’t matter... What are you doing here?

Sans: You still haven’t answered me. You shouldn’t come here alone, it's dangerous.

                Hearing that from Asgore was already annoying to her. Frisk grunted when Sans said the same thing, resenting to have disobeyed Asgore.

Frisk: ... I ran away because my parents wouldn’t let me leave.

                Sans was surprised to hear her answer and he didn’t believe what he heard, starting to laugh. He never expected such an attitude coming from her and Frisk was annoyed to see him acting like that.

Frisk: It’s true! I was looking for you!

                He was surprised to know she was looking for him and made a silly grin to instigate her, leaving Frisk unsightly.

Sans: ...Why were you looking for me? Don’t tell me that you...

Frisk: ... Don’t think wrong! ... I want to know who Gaster is and I know you know him.

                That silly smile broke quickly as his vision darkened along, looking down. Without a reply, Sans turned back, leaving Frisk startled.

Sans: I'm sorry kiddo, I don’t want to talk about it.

                He didn’t wait a second and began to walk away from her. Frisk wasn’t going to give up trying to convince him and ran ahead of him, making him stop walking. She turned to face him again and insisted.

Frisk: Wait! There must be a way to stop him, there must be any!

Sans: There's nothing you can do to stop him.

Frisk: ... So... What do you intend to do?

                Those words left her with a lump in her throat, after what she had seen previously, she unconsciously joined the pieces and didn’t want to believe the answer. On the other hand, Sans closed his eyes and sighed, he gave a convinced look before saying his pretense.

Sans: I'll execute him.

Frisk: ... What?

                Unbelievable, Frisk didn’t imagine that he really wanted to kill him. She stared at him for a few seconds.

Frisk: But... Why?

Sans: Because there's no other way. He wants the control of the artifact and will do anything to get your soul. And if he really succeeds, everything will be lost. But... I won’t let him do what he wants.

                Seeing that he went back, struggling to protect her than before, Frisk didn’t know what to say. Even with such conviction, she felt there was something behind.

Frisk: Sans... I want to believe it, but… I don’t think that's the reason...

Sans: Why not?

Frisk: By the way you looked him ... I feel like you're hiding something.

Sans: ...You're right, and you'd better not know why.

                He still did not look at her, doing everything to get away from her insistent questions. But he knew she wasn’t going to give up easily and Frisk once again went to face him.

Frisk: ... Please let me help you. I don’t want always being protected, I can...

Sans: …What? You can’t defend yourself.

                At that, a silence arose in that place and Frisk felt defeated by his words. She felt annoyed to agree, understanding that there was nothing she could do.

Frisk: I'm sorry... I won’t bother any more.

                Seeing her reaction, Sans became frightened and thought about what he had just said. He knew it had been hard when she touched his open wound. Even so, he realized how little hope Frisk had to make things back to normal, she was determined to make Gaster stop being bad and Sans knew such determination that Frisk had. But he knew him for real and didn’t believe Gaster would change, the reason for that was in his past. Sans feared he had to tell her the truth, but he had no choice, she had to understand him. As he watched Frisk turn and walk to the door, he decided to stop her.

Sans: Wait...

                Frisk paused as she put her hand on the door when she heard him call, and she only listened to him with a look of sadness.

Sans: You didn’t come here for free, did you?...I'll tell you who he was.

                Frisk soon turned around, surprised to see him change his mind and decide to tell her about it, in fact that was her wish. Sans gestured for Frisk to approach and they both walked to a bench, they sat side by side and Sans folded his hands, thinking about what he was going to say, while Frisk was paying attention to him.

Sans: What do you want to know?

Frisk: ... What was he like?

Sans: Gaster was the greatest genius of science underground. Thanks to him, all the technology invested in the core has brought advance in the lives of the monsters. But when he started researching the artifact, it completely changed his life. He became obsessed with receiving so much power, ignoring all the risks he could cause to himself and those around him.

                Frisk began to reflect on what Asgore had said along with his statement, but something else intrigued her.

Frisk: ... Asgore told me that Gaster had found a way to get the artifact.

Sans: Actually we weren’t even close. To control the artifact, we needed a human soul. While studying its entire structure, Gaster created a theory that it was possible to combine part of a human soul with the soul of a monster, creating a hybrid soul. But that theory was only on paper.

Frisk: But what about you?...You were his assistant, weren’t you?

Sans: You really want to know?

                She was determined to know and asserted to him. Surprised, he took a deep breath and looked ahead before speaking.

Sans: Gaster didn’t have enough means to test his experiments, he needed living bodies and he wouldn’t use other monsters if his experiments had the chance to kill them... I wasn’t only his assistant. Actually, I'm one of his creations, just like Paps.

                She was puzzled to hear this, because she never imagined hearing such a thing.

Frisk: Gaster created you to be guinea pigs?

Sans: That was the intention. But when I was brought up, Gaster wanted to know how I would develop. He spent some time teaching some things about the monsters, including about the artifact legend. I could learn fast, and it wasn’t different when he handed me several books with advanced research and materials. I learned science and quantum physics as began to study his research. When Gaster saw that I was able to help, he made me his assistant.

                He counted while the scenes went through his head, at the same time, it was like taking off all his weight that he carried alone. Deeper down, he thanked Frisk for being just listening to him.

Sans: That's when Gaster decided to create another guinea pig, I never had the chance to see my brother being raised. But one day, I visited one of the hidden rooms and I saw him trapped in a room at the corner of the hall. I had never seen anyone like me and felt curious to see him. When Paps saw me, he was scared, but I gained his trust few by few. I didn’t want him to suffer in Gaster's hands, he was too pure. I did my best to spend more time with my brother, but Gaster figured out what I was doing and saw me walking into that room. He became so angry, he didn’t want me to see my brother. Then, he ended up changing my studies to train me to fight, using as an excuse "you have too much free time". I wasn’t good enough, but it was from there that I felt anger for him, and that... motivated me to be strong in combat.

                He stiffened a little before moving on, turning his pupils to her. Frisk kept looking at him, feeling his sadness.

Sans: ... As you know, there were other humans who fell underground than you. Gaster saw this opportunity and asked me to watch over the abyss to search for humans. I saw several of them, and they all fought against the monsters from the ruins. I thought they were a threat to all monsters. When they had a moment of distraction, I killed them and took them to him, in return, he promised me he wouldn’t use my brother in his tests.

                When Frisk heard this, she felt sad to see that the humans had a tragic end, making sense to the legend that nobody returned from the mountain to tell a story. But all this had a reason, and he believed he was doing fairness.

Sans: But once... A different human appeared there, he didn’t kill the monsters he saw. I couldn’t understand why he was acting this way... But, I had to comply with what I promised...

                A scene from the past appeared in his memory; he was wearing his old disguise and looking at the child, who was looking at him startled. Sans was preparing to attack her coldly, but he was still confused in front of the kid. Of all the humans who stared at him, this time she was a child. She was trying to smile, showing that she wanted to be friends with him, but she hardly knew she was facing death at that moment. Without waiting any longer, several bones were invoked by his hand, hitting the child. She did nothing and let herself be killed by the bones stuck in her chest. Before giving her last breath, the child looked at him with a smile on her face and with tears in her eyes.

_“... I forgive you…”_

                When Sans heard this, he immediately saw his brother in the place of that dead child, thinking he had killed him. He had been delirious to see Papyrus dead, utterly stunned. Sans ended up leaving the ruins to stop seeing it, hiding for several days in a cave, inside Snowdin forest. He gave up on killing other humans and didn’t want to step inside the lab anymore. Tired of the life he was taking, he saw how cruel the science was and became tired of being used to his dirty work. From there, he decided to abandon everything and do anything to get his brother out of there, even if he had to face the scientist, but when he returned to the laboratory, Sans had seen something he didn’t expect to see.

                Coming back to reality, Sans clenched his fist of anger as Frisk looked at him, worried.

Sans: ... I saw him using my brother and I couldn’t forgive him... he had broken the promise. I couldn’t contain myself and we ended up fighting. I didn’t care if I died, as long as I took him to hell along... Before one of us died, something happened in the machine and it exploded. The human souls he used created a black hole and it was swallowing all up. Slightly, I was able to save myself and leave the lab, taking my brother with me, but Gaster was swallowed by the machine. Papyrus suffered an accident in the meantime and eventually forgot all that, it was easy to start again from scratch and move on to another.

                After finishing speaking, there were several minutes of silence as Frisk processed the whole story. She felt bad for him, realizing that appearances really deceived; Behind that smiling face, Sans hid a tragic past.

Frisk: I really... I'm sorry.

Sans: ...That's why nothing you do will change him, the artifact has always been your goal. After all he did... If he wants your soul, he must go over me first.

                Hearing this, Frisk saw that he was being vengeful over bad memories. Despite all that Gaster did, Frisk didn’t want to see Sans killing for revenge. She felt she should help him get rid of his grudge, and she was determined to make Gaster change his mind. Frisk subtly placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. That made Sans turn to see her, startled.

Frisk: You don’t have to do it alone... If we join out strengh, I know we can stop him.

                Sans was surprised by her response. Even with everything he said, her reply emphasized that she had a pure heart, just like his brother. He wondered if she really believed it, if she thought she was capable of changing him. Sans ended up smiling yellow, intrigued.

Sans: Heh... I guess I don’t even understand you.

                Frisk was a little embarrassed by his reaction and took her hand from his shoulder, turning her head. But he ended up interrupting her one more time.

Sans: Kiddo... If you can get the artifact and can’t control that power, I'm afraid something can happen to you ... So I'd like you to continue being who you are.

                Frisk was surprised to hear his request and showed a sarcastic smile.

Frisk: ... Would that be a promise?

Sans: You know I don’t like making promises.

                She ended up laughing at it as she wanted to fulfill that request, not only for him, but for all her friends whom she had. Frisk really feared that something would happen since she no longer possessed her powers, questioning her ability to control the artifact, but alongside them who give her all the support, she believed she would achieve it.

Frisk: ... Your finger?

                Sans reached out and closed his hand, raising his last finger. Frisk did the same and they both crossed their fingers, looking at each other.

Frisk: ... I promise.

                He was surprised to see her wanting to keep what he asked for. Sans knew he could count on her and with that, he decided to do his part to continue protecting her to ensure that her promise continues to be fulfilled. They both let go of their fingers and kept sat down, staring at the messy shed. Minutes later, Frisk noticed her cell phone ringing and she picked it up to see who was calling. She saw the number of Asgore on her screen and Frisk looked at it in anguish, knowing he was going to stress with her.

Frisk: Oh no... My dad is calling me...

Sans: You better answer it.

                Frisk took a deep breath before answering the call, knowing he was going to hear scolding over the phone. When she answered, Asgore was speaking loudly on the other end of the line.

Asgore: My daughter! Are you alright?

Frisk: ... I'm fine, I'm talking to Sans.

Asgore: By heavens! Tori had gone to your room and saw the window open. I didn’t believe you could do it, Frisk. But ... At least, I’m relieved to know you're in good hands... Where are you guys?

Frisk: We're in a shed behind college and we're leaving.

Asgore: ... And why are you in such place? ... Are you alone?

                Frisk blushed when she heard Asgore ask that, certainly it wasn’t what he was thinking and Frisk turned quickly to Sans not seeing her blush that way.

Frisk: FATHER! Is not what you…

Asgore: ... I know you're an adult Frisk, but I hoped you'd at least obey me. I'll pick you up.

Frisk: No need... He can take me home.

Asgore: ... Alright, I'll see you soon.

                He hung up the call and Frisk put away her cell phone, annoyed that she thought his father was suspicious of them. After that, they stood up and Sans reached out to Frisk for her to hold. For a moment she stared at his hand and thought it was something else, looking startled.

Sans: Like old days?

Frisk: Ah... So long you didn’t do that.

Sans: Relax, I'm not asking for your hand.

                Frisk was surprised by this remark and swore she was going to send him away, but she refrained from speaking and only grunted, blushing and not looking at him. She took his hand and they both teleported to the house of the boss monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't miss Sans' new outfit, since he'd grown up, nothing more fairer than updating it: http://fav.me/dc7d879
> 
> Hope you're liking it so far. See ya! :3


	19. Feelings

                It was already dark and they both came to her house and the boss monsters. Before Frisk said goodbye to Sans, the door suddenly opened and Asgore left, looking at them. He started to stare at them, and by the way he looked, he wasn’t happy at all. Frisk tried to apologize, but he cut her off before she could speak.

Asgore: ...Come in. I need to talk to him alone.

                Frisk looked startled and worried about what Asgore would talk to him. Before entering, Frisk only thanked Sans and entered the house. Asgore waited for Frisk to come in first and closed the door, leaving only the two outside. Inside, Frisk saw Toriel walking toward her, realizing she was also very worried. Frisk didn’t want to explain everything that had happened in the meantime.

Toriel: My daughter, what gave you to run away like that?

Frisk: ... Nothing happened, Mom, I'm fine.

                Away from home, Asgore stared at Sans for a few seconds, then he sighed low, changing his expression, feeling guilty for letting that happen.

Asgore: I’m sorry for what happened... I tried to keep it confidential, but she insisted on seeing you.

Sans: There was no problem, I told her the truth.

Asgore: ... Did she react well?

Sans: Perfectly, but I'm afraid she'll keep getting involved, it's not safe for her.

Asgore: I'll do my best to get Frisk away from him. And... Thanks for bringing her home.

Sans: It was nothing, good night Asgore.

                Sans just turned around and teleported himself, leaving Asgore alone. When he walked into the house, he saw Frisk and Toriel dining on the table in silence and joined them with a smile on his face. Before Frisk could ask him something, Asgore interrupted her again.

Asgore: Don’t worry, it was no big deal.

                Frisk saw that Asgore was content as if nothing had happened, but she still felt bad for having done something against his will earlier and decided to apologize.

Frisk: Sorry for today, Dad ... I really took the risk of running away, but I was lucky to have met Sans before.

Asgore: That won’t stop me from punishing you. We were really desperate when you disappeared; we almost thought you had come face to face with the Amalgamates.

Toriel: By the way, Alphys had called earlier. She told us to meet up at her house tomorrow. She'll need our help to get the Amalgamates back together.

Frisk: ... Can I help?

Toriel: Even if you can’t, we won’t leave you alone here.

Frisk: ... I guessed.

                She was upset that she had no idea how to help with this quest, but since she had given Alphys her word, she should do her part. Dinner was done in silence and then everyone went to sleep. The next day, Frisk rose from her bed and saw her badge on the desk. She took her badge and for a few minutes, she stared at the broken heart and wondered what she could do. Then, Frisk wondered if Alphys could look at her badge and find a way to fix it, meanwhile, Frisk would have to protect herself because she couldn’t defend herself without her powers. She didn’t want to believe she was a useless part of the group and hoped to get them back soon. She put her badge in her pocket and went to get ready to leave. Hours later, everyone gathered at Alphys's house and waited for her to leave the lab, until they found her with various papers in her hand and with a look of joy.

Alphys: I brought good news! Yesterday I worked on finding the location of the Amalgamates and Idiscovered they had separated, but I narrowly tracked their location.

Undyne: You've been working all night, Alphys?

Alphys: Yeah... well... almost...

                She didn’t want to admit that she watched some series all night long as she waited for the computer to locate the Amalgamates. Alphys rubbed the back of her neck lightly as she laughed blatantly.

Alphys: ...My plan is for us to split up in pairs... Each pair will buck each Amalgamate I say, and convince each one to follow us until we all meet again.

Asgore: I see, but there is still a risk if they are being controlled by Gaster. We can’t avoid it if we have to fight them.

Alphys: I know… I just hope they’re fine.

Undyne: Alphys, what if they don’t want to come with us? They know we attacked them.

Alphys: As an apology, you can take food they like best to convince them.

Toriel: It looks good... What should we take?

Alphys: They like roasted potatoes that had in the lab... And also hamburger, instant noodles, pie...

Mettaton: ... Seriously did you give it to them, Alphys? Not even my restaurant serves such crap.

                Surprised by her comment, Alphys laughed shamelessly. She was terrible in the kitchen and only ate junk food normally because she didn’t want to take the time to learn how to cook.

Sans: Heh… Do you know which food they like?

Papyrus: ...Don’t you dare!

Sans: ... Gummy!

                Papyrus was agonized and shouted up with both hands on his skull, knowing that Sans would make a pun on that level. No one resisted and began to laugh, not knowing if it was the joke or the reaction of his brother. Frisk couldn’t contain it and ended up laughing loudly.

Frisk: Really...That was awful.

Sans: Hehe, looks like someone liked.

Frisk: I didn’t say anything.

Sans: And that smile on your face?

Papyrus: It's a pity smile, that's it.

                Papyrus appeared interrupting and standing between them, separating both. He didn’t dare to look at his brother while crossing his arms, clearly irritated. When Frisk saw Papyrus come in the middle, she turned her head, blushing and tried to disguise her expression, looking drastically at the side; she had been carried away by her feelings and Sans continued indifferent, amused by her brother's reaction. Mettaton didn’t seem to care about the pun Sans had made, but he noticed how Frisk had reacted and he intervened, grinning wryly and winking.

Mettaton: Don’t worry. There are going to be many moments to make puns later, now to the plan.

Alphys: Well... Anyone want to choose?

Undyne: Why don’t we make a lucky draw?

Mettaton: I have a better idea.

                Having said that, Mettaton went into a room and picked up a can with several sticks and four crayons. He painted eight ends of the wooden sticks and returned to the room to explain the draw.

Mettaton: This draw is what I like the most. Everyone take out each toothpick at the same time and the two that have the same color will form the pair.

                Mettaton showed the can with the toothpicks and they all stood in front of it, as soon as he warned, everyone took a toothpick and saw the color on the tip of it. Asgore picked up the green color and saw that Toriel had taken the same, Papyrus took the blue tip, the same as Mettaton and Undyne took the red tip, the same as Sans. Finally, Frisk and Alphys took the yellow tip and all formed their pairs. But Mettaton interrupted everyone when he saw Alphys and Frisk picking up the same color.

Mettaton: Wait a minute, Alphys and Frisk can’t go by themselves. Does anyone want to change?

Undyne: I'm going with Alphys, right Sans?

Sans: Okay.

                Undyne smiled triumphantly as she watched Alphys leave Frisk's side, heading toward her. Sans didn’t say anything else and went to Frisk, meanwhile, Frisk was surprised no one had contested and didn’t want to believe that it was a framework for her to spend more time with him. Were they suspicious at this point? Frisk began to find it obvious how she demonstrated her feelings and became chastening internally as she placed her hand on her face, sweating cold.

Frisk: "Idiot ... what are they thinking of me now?"

Sans: ... Are you okay?

                Frisk turned and saw that he was looking at her, confused. She soon realized that she had been acting strange and had ceased to martyr herself. Frisk couldn’t deny that being on his side made her feel safer, but she didn’t want to give the impression that she liked it. Frisk knew that he had several cases and this left her heart divided. She turned to look at him and smiled discreetly.

Frisk: ... Yes, I'm fine.

                Sans didn’t seem convinced, not after remembering what they'd talked about the day before. He didn’t want her to feel bothered to be by his side after what she knew.

Sans: If you want to change too, I...

Frisk: No! ... I mean... We can go together.

                Frisk stopped and thought about what she had just said, not understanding why she had said it impulsively. She began to blush quickly and before he said anything, she turned her head, hoping he wouldn’t see her in that state. Sans became surprised to hear her answer, but when he saw her turning her head, he decided not to argue, hoping she would be really sure about what she said. Meanwhile, Alphys went to the produce machine and took out several bags of potatoes for each pair and she handed one to Frisk. She stared at the bag of potatoes, wondering if it would work using this to convince the amalgamates to follow them, and she turned to Sans to ask.

Frisk: ... Do you have any idea if it doesn’t work out?

Sans: I think I have one.

                Everyone debated for a few minutes and again, Alphys again caught the attention of the group.

Alphys: Right. If you have any idea what you can get beyond the roasted potatoes, it'll be great. I’ll send the coordinates for you by cell phone. To meet again, we will meet near the entrance to the village.

                Everyone agreed and each pair left the laboratory, but before, Frisk remembered about her emblem and asked Sans to wait for her, as she ran back to the lab and went to call Alphys, taking her to a corner. Alphys followed her as Undyne watched them move away from her.

Frisk: Alphys, I need a favor from you.

Alphys: Sure, what can I do?

Frisk: Well, my badge... Can you fix it?

                Frisk took her broken badge out of her pocket and showed it to her. Seeing the broken heart, Alphys became startled, taking it and examining it for a few seconds.

Alphys: I can look what to do... The heart is made of a hard mineral, but I'm not sure which type... I can take a few days to find out and study what to do. If possible, I’ll need someone to lapidate another heart.

Frisk: Right, thank you very much, Alphys.

                She didn’t know if Alphys could really help, but knowing that she also knew about minerals, it was a relief to know that she could have her emblem back. After hearing her reply, Alphys began to act stiffly and looking below.

Alphys: Meanwhile, Frisk ... Y-you rely on Sans to protect you... Right?

                Alphys didn’t hesitate and began to babble as her face flushed. And Frisk felt nervous the same way and tried to disguise again, looking to the side and scratching her chin.

Frisk: Ah... Yes, why?

Alphys: ... It's just that I...

                She couldn’t respond in such a shame and began to laugh blatantly, making her even more uncomfortable. Frisk began to think that Alphys knew something, and to make matters neither worse, nor she could disguise her feelings well by then. After what she and Sans talked about yesterday, Frisk remembered about their promise, at the same time, she refused to accept that she liked him. They didn’t even notice Undyne coming up behind them seconds later, curious to know what they were talking.

Undyne: ... What are you two talking about? The last time was about me.

Alphys: U-Undyne!

                Frisk quickly returned to normal and smiled confidently at Undyne, this time it had nothing to do with her.

Frisk: I asked Alphys if she can fix my badge. I know she can, right?

Undyne: Absolutely... Well nerd, you won’t want to leave your pair waiting for you, right?

                She said it with a sarcastic smile as Frisk dropped her mask and looked startled at Undyne, getting nervous again. She could hardly believe that Undyne was also wary of anything. She started to stare at her nervously as she disguised her blush.

Frisk: You... You did it on purpose, didn’t you?

                Mettaton quickly emerged behind the three of them and Frisk didn’t shy away from being frightened. He seemed even more curious to know the matter and walked among them, posing extravagantly.

Mettaton: Darlings! Is it my impression or is the subject getting hot there?

Undyne: Hey Mettaton... Don’t you think the nerd's been acting weird lately?

                Frisk was frightened to hear this, it was clear that her reactions were so obvious, she couldn’t disguise more and tried to convince them otherwise; she didn’t want to admit the truth. But Mettaton ignored her reaction and answered Undyne.

Mettaton: Darling, I was the first one to realize that.

Alphys: Hehehe... We all realize that.

                After answering, they directed their glances at Frisk. Already she didn’t stop feeling uncomfortable, knowing that they were looking at her suspiciously and smirking.

Mettaton: ... Why don’t you tell us who is him, Frisk, darling?

Frisk: ... W-who?

Undyne: You know who we're talking about.

Frisk: ... It's not what you're thinking...

                It sounded like an interrogation and Frisk didn’t want to admit it at all. She turned her gaze, trying to ignore them and they kept staring at her insistently. Seeing that she wasn’t going to answer, Mettaton decided to be more direct.

Mettaton: Honestly, this is already so obvious that only you didn’t notice, so let's get straight to the point, okay? We know that you are feeling something for someone, or rather saying... You are...

Undyne: ... in love.

Frisk: NO! I...

                She looked back at them, puzzled. Her heart was a thousand and she didn’t know how to swallow it. It was true that she liked being at his side, but she was afraid too. She didn’t feel ready, nor was she sure she wanted to continue to feel that way about him. Frisk could only deny it to herself as her friends kept talking.

Mettaton: Frisk darling, don’t deny your feelings.

Frisk: But it’s...

Mettaton: Sure, sure... You get nervous when you see him; he messes with your stomach, makes your heart pound and when he says something funny you don’t want to stop laughing.

Alphys: It’s okay Frisk, your secret is safe with us.

Frisk: ... But that's not what I meant!

Undyne: ... So?

                Frisk knew they just wanted to help her, but she didn’t want to give false hope to them. She decided to be honest about what she thought about it and lowered her head, staring at the floor.

Frisk: I... I heard he had dated several women, and ... I don’t want to be just another one...

                Seeing this, they all stopped bothering and felt sorry for her, already Mettaton looked to the side with a face of contempt.

Mettaton: ... Idiot.

Undyne: ... I didn’t think you'd know that so soon, but... I believe he didn’t find the right woman yet.

Alphys: What if he likes you back? Would you give him a chance?

Frisk: I don’t know ... I honestly don’t think he's going to like me ... He always treated me like a child and I understand why... I've always been being protected.

                Frisk began to feel annoyed with herself, if it weren’t for the loss of her powers, maybe the story was different. Soon she saw Undyne grab her by the arms and rocking her, looking into her eyes to give her more confidence.

Undyne: Then prove it to him! Show that you can defend yourself.

Frisk: How? After what we had last night...

Mettaton: ... Last night?

                They all looked startled, and at the same time Undyne released her, looking at her in astonishment. Frisk tried to calm them down before they thought something wrong.

Frisk: ... I-it was nothing! Yesterday he told me his reasons to be angry with Gaster and also... My parents forbade me to leave me alone...

Undyne: ... Well ... I don’t know what to say either; he can be such an enemy.

Mettaton: But you've faced worse enemies, haven’t you?

Alphys: But she doesn’t have her powers! Besides, we don’t know what he can do with her, it's too risky.

                Although they were worried about her, they saw that Frisk was still disheartened and that wasn’t going anywhere. Then Undyne, determined to mitigate the situation, tried to keep her spirits up and looked again at Frisk.

Undyne: ... Don‘t worry nerd. When this is all over, we'll see what we can do to get your powers back; Alphys will fix your badge and we'll be able to train that sooner.

Mettaton: Of course, this was just an unforeseen moment. By now we'll have to rely on him to protect you for now.

Sans: Sure.

                Everyone was frightened when they heard him around, he was a few meters away and accompanied by Papyrus, both were curious to know what they were talking about. Frisk turned to Sans, annoyed at the fright he took.

Frisk: Don’t scare me like that!

Sans: Sorry, but you were taking longer than planned, so I came to know the reason.

Papyrus: My brother seemed to care about nothing, but we heard you were talking about protecting the human... Don’t worry! My brother may be a lazy bag of bones, but he can keep his promise.

Mettaton: Okay, so we're counting on you to protect Frisk.

Undyne: Even if you have to use your life, you understand?

Sans: Okay.

                Undyne and Mettaton kept staring at him, emphasizing that they were really serious about it. Despite this, Frisk thought they were just anxious about what they knew of her. Finally, Frisk thanked their company and went to meet Sans.

Frisk: Sorry for the delay, we can go now.

Sans: No problem.

                As they were walking, Mettaton called Sans far behind and he turned to know what he wanted to say. He eventually saw the robot making a heart with his hands as he wiggled his eyebrows, making him angry. Before Frisk turned back and see what was happening, Sans put his arm around her shoulders and made her walk faster with him, ignoring Mettaton's taunt and not letting Frisk see. She didn’t understand why, but when she felt his arm beneath her shoulders, she stared down frightened, her face seething and not thinking at all. They made their way in silence until they reached somewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here, things is going to be interesting. :3  
> See ya!


	20. Capture

                After walking for a while, Sans pulled his arm from Frisk's shoulders and they continued walking in silence. He wondered if he'd bothered to hug her without her consent, and she wondered why he'd done it. After the conversation they had yesterday, did it bring them closer? Was there any chance of him to accept? She stopped thinking about it and shook her head slightly, refusing to believe it. That wasn’t likely, because of the situation they were in, he had to protect her now and nothing else should interfere with that.

                Before they went to the place, both went to the skeleton brothers' house and Sans went to the kitchen to get some food they had stored in the refrigerator. While waiting in the room, Frisk kept thinking about what had just happened; she ended up confessing to her friends and they were hoping for her to be reciprocated. She started asking the same question for herself from years ago, if it was really possible for a human and monster to be together. Still, she didn’t know the answer. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Sans coming out of the kitchen with a straw basket in her hand, he would take it while traveling.

Frisk: And what’s inside there?

Sans: ... Food huh.

                After hearing the answer, Frisk closed her face and fist, wanting to send him away verbally and Sans laughed at her face after speaking that obvious answer. Quickly, they felt their cell phones ring and the message they both received showed a map with a dot marked on the border between the city and a forest.

Sans: It's far from here, we'll have to go by another means.

Frisk: You say like old times?

Sans: That's it.

                They put away their cell phones back and Frisk turned to look at him, waiting for him to reach out, but before, he looked at her with a little fear and willing to say something.

Sans: About yesterday... Don’t you ever regret hearing it?

Frisk: ... Why are you asking this?

                He didn’t think she'd easily accepted what he'd heard, but when she looked at him startled at his question, he gave up talking about it and turned his head to the side.

Sans: Nothing, I'm just thinking too much.

                Frisk didn’t understand why he was like that; she didn’t like to see him so distant and not knowing how to help. But suddenly, she realized something when it came into her mind, is it time to show him? She wanted to prove that she wasn’t who he thought she was. Maybe that would change his mind about her? Convinced of this, she was filled with determination to speak and looked at him again.

Frisk: ... I don’t regret hearing about your past, Sans. I care about everyone because I want to see everyone well, as you too. I want you to count with me too, if you need a shoulder like you always gave to me, I'd like to help.

                After hearing her reply, Sans returned to look at her in surprise, not expecting it. He didn’t have an answer that time and watched her as his mind processed a thousand things. Sans should know she was like this with everyone, but when did she get a chance to do something for him? This really caught him by surprise and he was relieved to learn that she really accepted him as he is. After looking at each other for several seconds, Frisk didn’t avoid being nervous, waiting for his answer. It didn’t last long as he had the courage to speak.

Sans: Heh... Thank you. And sorry if that bothered you.

Frisk: ... It's okay.

                She smiled patiently, making him feel more relieved. Soon, he held out his hand and she held back, making both teleport to the entrance of a dark forest. Seeing such place, Sans began to suspect about anything and before Frisk stepped forward, he barred her and began to look around suspiciously.

Sans: It doesn’t seem safe here...

Frisk: But we have to find the Amalgamate.

Sans: Wait... I'll call Alphys and find out if we should look here.

                Frisk watched him turn around and pick up his cell phone, she could see he was really nervous as he called Alphys. Meanwhile, she stayed still and continued to watch the entrance to the forest as she waited for Alphys the answer. Seconds later, he hung up the phone, disappointed.

Sans: She doesn’t answer, so let's be careful.

Frisk: ...That way you're going to make me nervous.

Sans: Hehe... You don’t have to be afraid, kiddo.

Frisk: I'm not afraid!

                She started walking toward the forest, taking courage for him to see that she wasn’t scared. Sans just watched her went through the forest and followed her, still watching the forest inside. As they walked, they saw that the forest was dense, full of trees and the light was getting scarce; the amalgamate could hide there easily and it would be difficult to find him just looking.

Frisk: ... Are we even going to find him in the middle of this?

Sans: It would be easier if we found an open place.

                They walked a few meters ahead and both could find an open space, surrounded by trees and some bushes. As the trees were blocking the passage of light, the amalgamate could easily hide there. They both stopped and began to look around the room, searching for the monster.

Frisk: Should we call him?

Sans: If you wanna try...

                She turned to the open space and raised her voice to call for the amalgamate, waiting for him to appear, meanwhile, Sans continued to gaze cautiously at all sides.

Frisk: ... Hello? We came to take you to your family...

                They both waited for some response as they continued to look around, but the amalgamate didn’t appear. After that, Frisk became a bit disappointed.

Frisk: But he should be here...

Sans: Then we'll have to use bait.

Frisk: But this will look like we're hunting him.

Sans: Whatever we use, we still have to bring him back as we agreed.

Frisk: ... Okay then.

                She sighed deeply and had to agree with his idea, she hardly knew whether to use food as bait was as amateur as calling the monster in a random place, waiting for it to appear. Either way, they had to find a way to find the Amalgamate and bring it back to the others. Then, Sans took from his basket the bag of potatoes that Alphys had given and Frisk looked at the best place to leave the bag open. The scent of the bag was subtle and at the moment she opened the sack, a howl emerged from the depths of the forest. Frisk heard that sound and felt a shiver as Sans continued to watch her and ended up laughing at her sudden reaction.

Sans: ... You don’t have to be afraid, you have a bodyguard on your side, remember?

Frisk: I already said I'm not scared.

                Frisk turned, irritated, and started to put the potatoes on the floor in circles, Sans was looking at it, confused and didn’t fail to find it funny how she put the potatoes on the floor.

Sans: I didn’t know you mostly do a ritual to attract someone.

Frisk: ... Can you stop?

Sans: Okay, I won’t say anything else.

                He stayed on his back and continued laughing at it; Frisk was no longer struggling with his taunts and decided to turn the sack of potatoes inside out, spreading the potatoes everywhere. When she finished, Frisk went to a bush to hide and Sans did the same in a next bush, they both waited patiently until he fell into a nap.

                Several minutes later, Frisk was getting too anxious to see if it would work out; When it took half an hour, she figured she'd have to use another medium.

Frisk: ...Forget it, we'll have to use something else, what else did you bring?

                She turned her gaze to him and saw Sans dozing off behind the bush. Frisk looked at that unbelieving and began to get irritated. How could he sleep at such an hour? They were in the middle of a mission and he should help, besides, he should be protecting her.

Frisk: ... I came here to see you SLEEP? What kind of bodyguard are you?

                She didn’t want to believe he did it on purpose, Sans was sleeping soundly and Frisk decided not to depend on him anymore. She stepped out of the bush where she was hiding and saw the basket by his side, deciding to take it. As she was slowly approaching to pick up, she barely noticed that her body began to glow blue, suddenly, Frisk was startled when she saw his eye open and his iris glistening blue. She was pushed back and fall sitting down. She looked perplexedly up front and saw Sans woken up, his right hand was extended forward as he stared at her. He didn’t avoid smiling triumphantly at the startled look on her face.

Sans: Since when do you touch other people's things?

Frisk: That's wasn’t funny!

Sans: And you thought I wasn’t doing my job. How rude.

Frisk: You were asleep!

Sans: Not really, I did it on purpose to see your face and it worked.

                She was very annoyed to hear that she had fallen easily into his trick. Frisk was already losing the patience with his taunts that she had to endure all day, and with that last one, she got up and looked at Sans, furious.

Frisk: That's enough! How much longer will I have to endure you and your childish attitudes?

As she began to release her anger, Sans was startled to hear her like that as he stood back with his hands raised, trying to calm her down.

Sans: Wow... Take it easy, I was just kidding!

Frisk: I don’t want to know! You haven’t done anything yet so go ahead; I'll just keep looking now.

Sans: ... Okay?

                After deducting her anger, Frisk turned and went again to hid behind a bush, hiding even from his sight. Sans just looked at it and sighed deeply, he knew he had made her very angry, but he couldn’t leave her alone there. Frisk cringed between her legs and her arms embraced the emptiness above her knees. While she was hidden, she realized Sans looking at her from another bush, she lifted her head and saw him a few feet away, annoyed.

Frisk: ... Why are you looking at me?

Sans: You know I can’t leave you alone.

                She averted her gaze and turned away, this time, her face lightly flushed as she began to be disgusted with herself again. She hated when he made tasteless jokes and then, he always found a way to seem like he cared about her. Frisk knew that he was only protecting her while she couldn’t defend herself, but that could fool her heart temporarily. She hated it and didn’t understand why she liked him. If he hadn’t been so annoying, maybe even those unsuccessful encounters he'd had would matter to her. Frisk couldn’t help uttering a name, in a low voice as she ventured to herself.

Frisk: ... You idiot womanizer...

Sans: I heard that.

                Frisk quickly turned her head to look at him, frightened, she swore she had said that to herself, but after she heard him say it, she saw that he looked strange. He stood up and his pupils disappeared, showing a sinister grin.

Frisk: ... What?

Sans: Why did you call me a womanizer?

                She also got up from the bush and they both started to stare. For a moment, Frisk realized that she didn’t have to be afraid, as much as he knew it was true, Frisk took advantage of it to discount her anger at him.

Frisk: Don’t play dumb, I heard you've dated a lot of women before.

Sans: Who told you that?

Frisk: I heard about it at the party, lots of girls kept talking about you.

Sans: And you were jealous?

                Sans didn’t hesitate and began to stare at her sarcastically, making Frisk look at him amazed and nervous. She turned her head at the same time her face turned red again.

Frisk: ... I don’t have to be jealous.

Sans: Uhm... I believe.

                He said this by scratching his chin as he continued to stare at her maliciously. Frisk started to feel uncomfortable with what was happening and couldn’t believe he started acting so blatantly. Even so, she didn’t lower her guard and glared at him again, folding her arms.

Frisk: And what did you expect with that?

Sans: As far as I know ... Many women prefer guys with experience. If you want to...

                He started to approach her sneakily; the look he showed her left her with chills. Frisk uncrossed her arms and was about to back away from him, but she couldn’t. Frisk kept staring at him as she felt a chill in her stomach, growing extremely flushed. They were very close until he drew his skull closer to her ear, whispering.

Sans: ... I must say I have very peculiar tastes.

                From that moment on she became static. Sans didn’t know what she felt for him. As much as she wanted to have him around, Frisk felt that this shouldn’t continue, he didn’t reciprocate her the same way she hoped and it became painful. Apparently he was always like this with other women; with her it wouldn’t be different. Frisk resisted his teasing and pushed him back, feeling angry and disgusted. She no longer knew how to react and immediately, she ran away and didn’t wait for Sans to intervene, she wanted to stay away from him, from everyone and from anything. Frisk didn’t even care to have her soul stolen by Gaster from there, she just wanted to disappear.

                Meanwhile, Sans became perplexed by what just happened, this time he realized he had gone too far, but then, why did she react that way when they were both so close? He wasn’t going to grant unless she wanted to, but he didn’t calculate how much it had hurt her. When she ran away until she disappeared from his sight, at first he thought to stop her, but knowing that this time it was his fault, he became angry with himself, seeing that he acted like a complete asshole for that and now the situation had gone out of control. Even so, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone, so Sans wasted no time and teleported as far as Frisk would probably be, but upon arriving at the place, he saw only trees and more trees around. He continued looking for her desperately and didn’t think twice about calling her.

                Frisk stepped out of the forest and spotted a tree that was next to a house. She went there and hid herself as she covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her crying in vain. She hadn’t even realized that a man had seen her hidden there, crying alone. He approached her, worried.

Sir: What is a girl doing here alone?

Frisk: ... It's nothing, I... I'll be fine.

Sir: Oh... I see. Is it because of someone who is crying?

Frisk: ... Yeah.

Sir: Don’t worry; boys of your age don’t understand the girls' hearts.

Frisk: ... I know.

                Frisk shouldn’t agree with that exactly, because she imagined that Sans was much older than she was, but yet, as far as his mental age was concerned, she would probably agree. Suddenly, she felt her cell vibrate and as she picked it up, she saw that Sans was calling. Frisk didn’t want to answer his call and hung up, resented. While holding the cell phone, Frisk stopped crying and felt fine in the company of that gentleman; she wiped her tears and showed a serene smile.

Sir: Do you need help getting home?

Frisk: I can’t go back; I promised a friend who would help her recover her friends. I have to finish what I promised.

Sir: Friends who care for each other, good... Would you like me to accompany you?

Frisk: Thank you, but... I must go alone. Forgive me if that offended you.

Sir: Don’t worry! The more help, the better, is not it?

                She saw the insistence of the gentleman and looked at him a little suspiciously, she hoped he wasn’t doing it for bad.

Frisk: ... Are you against the monsters?

Sir: By no means I’m against them. If you are helping the monsters, I’ll be grateful to be able to help.

Frisk: ... I see.

                He held out his hand, smiling happily and Frisk smiled back, deciding to hold his hand. She was turning to go to the forest accompanied by the man when she saw everything around disappearing under a shadowy aura, distorting the whole scene and becoming dark. In the background, Frisk heard a sinister voice and turned to the gentleman, who was staring at her with an evil look.

Sir: I'm sorry, but we'll do this...

_“...on my way.”_

                He suddenly changed his shape until he revealed his true identity, he was Gaster, flinging open an evil, frightening smile. Frisk looked perplexed and when she noticed, she felt she became suspended in the air. Black clouds stunned her body and she tried to fight to be able to let go, in vain. This time, she was afraid of having to give up; delivering her soul to him. Frisk didn’t know how far it would go, if she hadn’t run away from Sans, it probably wouldn’t have happened. Damn supposition, she hadn’t even stopped to think about her safety, now she's at his mercy, Frisk began to regret bitterly for having left him, while insisting to get rid of his prison.

Frisk: ... Let me go!

Gaster: Too late... Now let's get down to business: your soul. I'll give you a chance to make a peaceful settlement, or else, I'll tear you out... What do you prefer?

                Frisk didn’t understand why he decided to give her a chance, what does he intend? She immediately thought of her friends and she knew they were counting on her. Frisk had to keep fighting for her and for them. With that, she remembered the promise she had made the day before; remembering it gave her strength again to face him, whatever it was.

Frisk: I won’t deal with you.

Gaster: I won’t give you another chance, human. You have no chance against me.

Frisk: I know I haven’t, but I won’t give up.

Gaster: Whatever! Your friends will come after you! But before that... I will make a special game that they will NEVER stop playing.

                Gaster began to laugh maleficently as the surrounding scenery returned to normal. Sans managed to reach the exit of the forest and saw both Frisk, agonized, trapped by the chains of black clouds, as Gaster, who was looking at her sinisterly. When he noticed that Sans was around, he turned his head to see him and didn’t stop laughing devilishly, making him angry. Sans tried to hit him with his Gaster Blasters with all his might, but Gaster managed to disappear and taking Frisk along. After they both disappeared, Sans saw her cell phone lying on the floor and he came over to take it. The first thing he saw on the screen was the calls she didn’t answer, coming from him.

                Sans couldn’t believe this was over, he clenched his fist tightly as he held the phone in his other hand. He wondered how he was going to tell everyone that Frisk had disappeared. Gaster had managed to capture her, what will they do after that? His grudge increased even more and his vision darkened again. He appeared to be pale, but he had a sinister grin on his face.

Sans: Heh... You never learn, do you? I must say that if you continue this way ... I assure you that it won’t end well for you.

                After saying these words, he teleported himself from the place, going to the meeting spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like someone is in trouble, rather saying, DOUBLE TROUBLE!  
> *the urge to punch his face is bigger than my bed time*
> 
> Hope you're liking this so far! :3


	21. Labyrinth

                At the meeting place where everyone was supposed to meet, the sun began to set and two pairs were missing to arrive. Those who had already returned were Asgore and Toriel, as well as Undyne and Alphys. The two boss monsters brought the Memoryheads and the duo Undyne and Alphys brought two of the Amalgamates, one being the molten bird and one having a moss head with a mermaid body. They got all of Alphys' attention while the others waited for the other Amalgamates and the remaining doubles. Suddenly, Undyne spotted one of the pairs arriving.

Undyne: Look, Papyrus and Mettaton did it!

                They all turned to the direction she pointed, seeing them coming and bringing with them two amalgamates. Papyrus did his best to stay away from the dog, but the dog kept sniffing at him and drooling over him oddly. As Mettaton had taught the other fine body amalgamate to parade, he seems liking so much that he was walking as if marching in a straight line. Mettaton just watched the way the amalgamate parade and smile.

Mettaton: ... By time you get the hang of it.

                As soon as they arrived, the two amalgamates met with the rest and went to Alphys, cheering her up. Finally, Papyrus and Mettaton went to the three guardians.

Undyne: What's up? Were they a lot of work?

Mettaton: Easier than taking candy from a child.

Papyrus: ...Try to take a bone from a dog later.

              Papyrus wasn’t content to be designated the hardest job of fetching the amalgamate dog, instead of it, he kept chasing after the skeleton. Undyne couldn’t help laughing at his situation and wondered how Sans would react to it, and by talking about him...

Undyne: Now it lacks the human and the lazy bag of bones. I wonder how they're doing.

Mettaton: When I think of both, I can’t help but imagine a perfect scene! Frisk being in danger, running from one of the amalgamate and suddenly, appears the hooded guy, named Sans, to save her. Suddenly, they look at each other and then them...

                Undyne ran to cover the robot's mouth, irritated. He was already doing various mimes and poses as if acting in their shows and didn’t realize that her parents were watching, confused.

Toriel: ... What are you talking about?

Undyne: It's nothing!

                She smiled uneasily and released her hands, one of them going to the back of her neck. Mettaton, who almost fell to the ground, used her legs to gain balance and stood beside Undyne, staring at her, folding his arms and whispering to her.

Mettaton: I don’t see why hiding this, one hour they'll end up knowing everything.

Undyne: She's the one to tell them about it, not you.

                Then the five turned to see Alphys giving attention to the Amalgamates and approached her, anxious to know the last pair missing.

Undyne: Hey Alphys, who's still missing more?

                Alphys heard her question and turned to see that there were only five of the guardians together. Then she looked back at the Amalgamates and recognized each one, but she saw that something was wrong. Alphys began to feel tense, seeing all of them there.

Alphys: Wait... they're all here!

Undyne: What? Are you sure there's no one else missing?

Alphys: Absolutely!

Papyrus: But... The human and Sans haven’t returned yet!

                They all looked at each other in bewilderment, if all the Amalgamates were there, how were they going to return? This seemed like a planned trap and as Frisk was far from everyone, it would be an easy prey for Gaster to capture. At least Sans was with her, but they didn’t know what had really happened in the meantime.

                Alphys grabbed her cell phone, desperate, and Toriel and Asgore did the same, each one trying to call Frisk. Alphys tried to remotely control one of the computers in the lab to track their location. At the same time, Papyrus was trying to console the boss monsters, who were quite worried.

Alphys: ... I can’t track them.

Papyrus: Don’t worry your majesty! My brother is protecting the human very well.

                Soon after he said those words, they heard a sudden noise and saw Sans nearby, he had teleported himself to where they were all. Sans couldn’t stop staring at the floor as everyone looked at him startled, seeing that he was alone.

Toriel: ... Sans?

Alphys: ... W-where's Frisk?

                They listened to that question in silence, feeling tense. Sans sighed deeply and decided not to omit anything, he was responsible for letting her be kidnapped.

Sans: ... She disappeared.

                Everyone was puzzled when they heard that answer. The situation became even more tense and everyone didn’t know how to react to it. Undyne glared at him and was about to move forward to punch him, but she stopped herself before doing it. Sans didn’t move and imagined that he deserved a punch in the face for letting her disappear.

Undyne: How did you let that happen? … HOW?

                Asgore sweated coldly when he learned that Frisk was no longer with Sans, however, he didn’t let himself be driven by anger. Asgore wanted to know exactly what happened and knew that Sans wouldn’t have given up his protection for nothing. He approached the skeleton and asked seriously, but showing concern.

Asgore: Sans... How did she disappear?

                Sans looked at Asgore and saw that he resisted judging him for his mistake. Then, Sans’guilt was explicit on his face as he looked into his pocket, taking out her cell phone and showing it to him.

Sans: It was because of me. She ran away from me and when I reached her, I saw her in his hands. She dropped her cell phone when she was taken.

Alphys: So... If it was Gaster who took her; then she...

Sans: ... She was taken to another dimension, it is impossible to locate her.

                Asgore heard that and couldn’t accept that Frisk had disappeared forever, both he and Toriel didn’t want to accept that they lost her the same way as their children in the past. Asgore insisted to himself that he had a chance to get her back. He turned seriously to everyone and spoke out loud.

Asgore: I won’t accept this... Her life is at stake! As guardians of the light... We can’t give up!

Toriel: Asgore...

                Everyone looked startled at him, but gradually they complied with what they heard and soon, everyone looked each other, agreeing with him.

Undyne: ... I agree!

                As soon as they came together on purpose, they were about to leave the place when black clouds appeared around, surrounding them. They darkened the place with the night coming as all of them looked around and joined together to see if anyone was showing up around the corner, but it was only possible to hear a recognizable voice. Gaster laughed wickedly at them and began to speak.

Gaster: _"... It is a pleasure to see you again... You have fallen into my trap and the human is under my control."_

Sans: ... What did you do with her?

                Sans was looking up with furor in his eyes, hoping that Gaster hadn’t done anything with her yet.

Gaster: _"... Calm down, I haven’t touched her. If you want a chance to save her, I want to play a game with you."_

                They all heard his intention of making a proposal, surprised and didn’t realize that he wanted to negotiate with them. As much as it was a chance to rescue Frisk from his hands, it seemed another ambush and they had no choice but to accept. Asgore looked seriously up, determined.

Asgore: ... Say what you want.

Gaster: _"Go through my labyrinth ... If you can get as far as the human is, I’ll release you ..."_

                It seemed too easy and Sans co-objected to his proposal, provoking him.

Sans: ... How long will you keep hiding? Are you afraid of facing us?

Toriel: … Stop! That's not how we're going to get something. If we have a chance, we need to unite ourselves to save her.

                As much as this is true, Sans didn’t accept that the situation had become worse than before, this time everyone had to join forces to find her and defeat Gaster once and for all. Seeing that Sans was quiet by her rebuke, Gaster sighed contentedly, convinced by the words of Toriel.

Gaster: _"Very prudent, but don’t get so excited... You should know how difficult my enigmas are..."_

                After saying that, a black portal appeared in front of them and inside, it showed a mirage from another place behind the portal. They all looked apprehensively at the portal and Gaster kept talking to them.

Gaster: _"There's the labyrinth. From the moment you enter it, I will challenge the human to a duel. If you don’t arrive in time until she dies, consider yourselves defeated. "_

                Again, Gaster laughed wickedly and the sound of his voice faded away. The portal remained static beside them and while they were still surrounded by dense, dark fog; they seemed to have no choice but to enter the labyrinth. At that moment, Undyne took courage and spoke to everyone.

Undyne: Look, if we do nothing, the human will have problems ... We don’t have a choice, do we?

Alphys: I-I... I wanted to help...

Undyne: I know Alphys, but you better stay here, I don’t want to risk letting you in.

                Alphys was sad that she couldn’t do anything this time, she wanted to make sure Frisk was safe, but knowing it would be a hard fight to rescue her, she couldn’t risk entering the portal. Mettaton soon approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling at the lizard.

Mettaton: So I'll do it for you.

Alphys: R-right... Try contacting me if you need to.

                Mettaton and Undyne agreed with her, then, they all stood near the portal and stared at it for a few seconds.

Asgore: ... Did we all get together?

Sans: The portal only fits one at a time.

Toriel: We'll go each one in so we don’t get lost.

Undyne: Okay, when I count to three...

                Before Undyne even started counting, Sans was about to enter the portal before everyone else. She stared at him, discontented not to let her count.

Undyne: ... Can you wait?

Sans: I'll go first to make sure.

                Before she could reply, he ran and jumped, entering the portal without waiting for Undyne to tell, and they all stood, waiting for some sign of him. Seconds later, they heard a voice coming from the doorway.

Sans: ... It’s safe.

Asgore: Let's go now.

                Asgore was soon after and after him, Toriel and Mettaton entered the portal. Undyne was annoyed that they hadn’t waited for her and she jumped in after them. Behind them, Papyrus and Alphys remained and she waited for him to enter the portal, but Papyrus didn’t feel comfortable in that situation. At that, she began to look at him with concern.

Alphys: ... What was it, Papyrus?

Papyrus: It's just that I... I've never felt this way before. What do I do if I see him?

Alphys: Is something bothering you, Papyrus?

                He didn’t know how to say what he was feeling, but within himself, he saw a thread of hope that he could save both Frisk and convince Gaster to let go of his evil deeds. But remembering the conversation he and Sans had a few days ago, Papyrus didn’t want Sans to take his revenge because of the past, so he felt divided.

Papyrus: That's not it... I don’t understand why we even have to kill him to save the human. There is a chance to change, right? ...If we tried to see that there is kindness within him ... Could we give him another chance?

                Alphys was surprised to hear this, not imagining that there was at least one person like him who could see something good even in everything bad that happened. His words gave her a new vision and she smiled gently to comfort him.

Alphys: You're really amazing, Papyrus... Now I understand why you represent kindness in person.

                He was surprised to hear her words, and he didn’t imagine that he had been able to convince her in such a short time.

Papyrus: ... Do you really think so?

Alphys: Yes.

                She remembered something and turned to look at her cell phone again, reflecting. Not knowing how to say what she was thinking, she began to babble with her face turning red.

Alphys: D-did you... Ever thought about hearing someone and you didn’t see who it was?

Papyrus: Like ghosts?

Alphys: No. It's just... I believe that within each one there is a consciousness that is not part of ours. When we are really in trouble and we ask for help, it appears and says things that only each one is able to hear and understand.

Papyrus: ... What do you mean by that?

Alphys: ... I believe that this awareness that you have has spoken this to you. Only you have the ability to realize how much kindness there is in someone.

                Before she could speak more, Undyne shouted from the other side of the doorway, interrupting their conversation.

Undyne: Hey Paps, are you there?

Papyrus: ... I'm coming!

                Again he looked at Alphys and couldn’t turn off his expression, confused by what she said, he was about to ask more questions when she interrupted the conversation.

Alphys: Don’t worry... That's just my theory. No need to take it seriously...

Papyrus: If I find out something I'll let you know.

                Even if he hadn’t understood at first, he felt determined to find out if that theory was really true as Alphys gave him her last words of encouragement, looking up at him with courage and closing her fists of excitement.

Alphys: Right. I'm counting on you Papyrus! Show him that you can persuade him.

Papyrus: Leave it to me! I, the Great Papyrus, will show him how to do it!

                Excited, Papyrus finally ran to the portal and jumped in. Seconds later, the portal began to close and Alphys watched it close until it disappeared completely, leaving her and the Amalgamates. The dense, dark mist dissipated and the amalgamates remained stand until seeing Alphys again. They approached her quietly as they heard Alphys pray to herself, afraid.

Alphys: Please… someone help them...

                Inside the labyrinth, the six were watching the place where the portal left them and realized that it was very dark. The walls that divided the paths of the labyrinth emitted an ultraviolet light, separating each wall from the other. The labyrinth was subdivided until it ended in the center. At the end of the labyrinth, which was in the center, there was a great light, believing it was the portal where Frisk was. Everyone looked at the initial paths of the labyrinth and came across three options: left, center and right.

Toriel: ... I can feel an intense wave of negative energy from here.

Undyne: It looks like we'll be stifled at any moment by it.

Asgore: Let's transform now.

                All agreed and took their emblems, lifting up and proclaiming aloud. Their emblems reacted in unison and a wave of light filled them, rapidly transforming them. As the light around ceased, everyone turned to position themselves to enter the labyrinth and watched the three options of paths.

Asgore: ... Apparently, we'll have to go double again.

Toriel: As the doubles made by Alphys are incomplete, we'll trade. Does anyone choose?

                Undyne was excited to choose her duo and raised her hand first.

Undyne: ... Can I go with Asgore?

Asgore: It will be a pleasure, Undyne.

Undyne: I can’t wait to fight together!

                Anxiously, she joined Asgore on the left path and they both waited for the four to decide.

Metaton: This time, I'll leave my number one fan to his brother's care. Would you like to come with me, Your Majesty?

Toriel: Well... Then you'll go double.

                Mettaton and Toriel headed to the right, leaving Papyrus and Sans on the middle path. Before they came in, Asgore spoke one last time to encourage them.

Asgore: To everyone, be safe; when you find the portal, send a signal so we can follow the path. May the God of Light be with us.

                Everyone took a deep breath and began to walk, entering the labyrinth. A few steps later, the entrance closed quickly and everyone looked back in fear, seeing that it was no longer possible to see where they came from, they had to turn and move on.

                After a while, Asgore and Undyne were looking around the labyrinth, the walls were white and looked like mirages surrounded by a dark purple aura. They walked several ways and were surprised that it hadn’t activated any trap in this place, but both hadn’t lowered their guard at any time. Undyne was still looking around, holding her spear apprehensively, until Asgore began to repair Undyne's tension; he decided to comfort her by placing his hand on her shoulder, displaying a gentle smile.

Asgore: You look very nervous; you don’t have to be like this.

Undyne: But... How can you be calm? Even seeing your daughter in danger...

                He kept looking at her gently, touched by her concern. Then he turned and looked straight ahead with a distant sight.

Asgore: Feelings like anger and despair don’t let us focus on what we want. Patience is the key to bringing balance.

                Undyne could only look at him, surprised to hear those pure and sensible words, even in the face of a defiant danger.

Undyne: ... Amazing, did you find this out for yourself?

Asgore: Actually, it always goes through my head.

                Suddenly, they both felt a wave of negative energy coming from both sides, they looked one to one side and saw beads of black magic flying toward them. Undyne summoned several spears pointed upward to protect herself and Asgore invoked his shield immediately to block the projectiles. The two managed to stop the attack in time. As they were blocked, the beads left a faint cloud of smoke around them until it disappeared. The two of them felt relieved after the incident and walked again. Asgore soon noticed a glow coming from the ground and warned her.

Asgore: The ground, watch out!

                Undyne then looked down and realized that an area of the ground was filling with energy, about to attack from below. She soon jumped out of the area and Asgore stood behind it, immediately the area stretched up, creating a spell of magic. Undyne looked frightened back and saw that the column of energy that emerged was closing and creating a new wall, dividing the two.

Undyne: Asgore, no!

                Before she tried to cross the column, Undyne ended up banging against the wall to try to pass, even she couldn’t hear any voice from the other side. She closed her fist and slammed against the wall of anger. Even though she couldn’t stay there, Undyne turned to the next path and gathered her courage to continue. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as she held her spear. A few steps later, Undyne stopped and noticed a floating light that left her hypnotized. She inevitably raised her hand toward that light, longing to touch it.

                Meanwhile, Toriel and Mettaton were walking and looking around, wary, until she paused for a moment, deciding to ask to the robot something.

Toriel: It was you who organized the party and gave the dress to Frisk, isn’t it?

Mettaton: Yes, your majesty, she was fabulous, isn’t she?

Toriel: So... Do you intent to make her fall in love with someone?

                She said in a subtle tone and turned to face him seriously, her pupils turning on fire that hour and Mettaton reacted perplexed, not wanting her to kill him. He tried to explain himself quickly, stammering and shaking his hands frantically.

Mettaton: N-no! Not what you majesty thinks! The human is already a woman, I'm not forcing her to any of this, she has to choose for herself ... Of course you know that...

Toriel: I see...

                She stopped staring at him and turned around, sighing loudly and remembering the few moments she had been with Frisk recently.

Toriel: She seemed so distant lately... I wonder what she thought that she didn’t want to tell me.

                He just listened to her, knowing that she had been worried about Frisk in the last few days, though he didn’t dare ask about mother and daughter matters. Meanwhile, Toriel began to remember her past with Frisk and smiled to herself.

Toriel: ... Looks like it was yesterday that I saw her, fallen in the ruins... She looked so small and helpless, but... Something told me she was the one.

Mettaton: … Awesome.

                Plunged into her thoughts, Toriel didn’t realize what she had said and composed herself subtly, she soon looked back and smiled gently.

Toriel: I'm sorry. I let myself go, shall we?

Mettaton: ... And how did you know before that she was the chosen one?

Toriel: It was my intuition that spoke it.

                He just nodded at her, surprised by the mysterious power Toriel had. When she turned to look ahead, her vision darkened and she had a bad feeling, something was about to happen at that moment. Immediately several spheres of black magic flew toward, about to hit them. Toriel quickly summoned the book and it levitated in front of her, opening and leafing through its pages quickly, creating a zero gravity field in an area where the energy spheres were. As they crossed the area created by her magic, the spheres stopped immediately in front of them and Mettaton summoned chains from the ground in a few seconds, the chains passed through the spheres and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke all around. Upon regaining sight, they saw that the spheres had disappeared.

Toriel: It was close.

                They sighed in relief and moved forward again. Mettaton suddenly looked down and saw an area of the ground that was receiving energy. He looked at Toriel and saw that she was about to step on that area.

Mettaton: Watch out!

                Before she turned back, trying to figure out what was happening, he pushed her to prevent from stepping into that area as he quickly backed away. Toriel inevitably fell to the ground and looked back, realizing that there was a column of magic created between them. This column immediately materialized on a wall, separating them. Mettaton ran to the wall and knocked on it, calling for Toriel, but heard no answer. On the other side, Toriel ran to the other side of the wall and called him repeatedly. Without hearing an answer, she gave up on continuing to call him and decided to move on, scared. Seeing that she should remain alone, she took a few steps forward and suddenly, she saw a light floating, levitating in front of her. That left Toriel hypnotized and inevitably, she reached out, longing to touch that light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG DO NOT TOUCH DA LIGHT!  
> Oh... forget it...  
> What will happen to them now? Which secrets the labyrinth hide?  
> Keep following and see ya!


	22. Reality or Illusion?

                In the middle of the labyrinth remained the skeleton brothers. Papyrus was walking restlessly and sweating cold, looking around and holding his two bones as swords. Meanwhile, Sans kept walking and watching the place, alert to anything that could appear. They hadn’t even exchanged a word since entering the labyrinth. Papyrus was afraid to speak and Sans had already noticed this and thought not to argue. Walking ahead, Sans sensed an attack coming behind them and instantly, several bones were summoned directly behind Papyrus, blocking the energy spheres that were flying toward their backs and being barred by the column of bones. As soon as the bones appeared, Papyrus was frightened and looked back to see what had happened. He turned to scold his brother after seeing the column of bones a foot of distance of him.

Papyrus: SANS! You want to freak me out?

Sans: What was it, bro?

Papyrus: I was a step away from that column, you could have hit me!

Sans: Come on! Don’t you trust your bro? I saved you from this.

Papyrus: That's no excuse! But… Thank you anyway.

Sans: No problem.

Papyrus: But next time, you need to warn me!

Sans: Okay.

                They returned on their course and in the middle of the way, Papyrus began to lose his fear of speaking as he remembered the moments when everyone was underground. Inevitably, Papyrus noticed something curious and asked his brother.

Papyrus: Hey Sans.

Sans: … Hm?

Papyrus: You're doing it for the human, aren’t you?

                Sans stopped walking, surprised by the question he had asked. It wasn’t the first time he had spoken of her out of nowhere. Sans turned back and looked at his brother, confused.

Papyrus: Well... I had a reason to want to be a Royal Guard soldier. I wanted to prove that I was strong enough to protect the kingdom, and also ... I wanted to protect you too. But… since the human came, I couldn’t do that ... Instead of me, it was you who did it.

                Not knowing what to say, he just listened while Papyrus kept talking and remembering the memories.

Papyrus: It's strange, but... When she left, the village became just like the Underground. Even with her away, helping us, each one lived their life without a purpose. And when she returned, they all returned to have hope. You noticed that too, didn’t you?

Sans: Yes.

Papyrus: And when that's all over, I mean... When we don’t have to fight anymore... We'll have to follow our own life, right?

Sans: ... Yes.

                Hearing this, Sans turned and went back on his way, surprised to see his brother thinking about the future, something he couldn’t even think of at that moment. But from there, he began to feel uneasy; his last words penetrated so much in his mind that Sans ended up having a déjà vu. He swore he'd felt that sense of not being able to protect anyone else, not even his brother, not even her. He looked down at the floor and thought to himself.

Sans: "What does that mean? I feel like I've been through this before... Should I be ready to leave her?”

                At that very moment, his thoughts were interrupted when he realized that there was an area of the ground receiving energy. Immediately he looked at the ground and jumped forward, turning back to warn Papyrus.

Sans: Get off the ground!

Papyrus: ... What?

                Papyrus immediately looked down and noticed there was an area of the ground about to emit energy. He stopped and jumped back, startled. Immediately the ground materialized on a new wall and before it could fully transform itself, Sans activated his cannon and fired at the wall, bumping into it and undoing the effect. Although it had worked out temporarily, the floor area shone again, receiving more energy. Meanwhile, Sans came back and took Papyrus by the fist, making him run with him.

Sans: He wants to separate us.

Papyrus: ... Why is he doing this?

Sans: He wants to make us vulnerable.

                Immediately, Sans stopped running, stunned. He released Papyrus from his fist and thought again, feeling that something was wrong.

Sans: "Wait... This is too easy, what is he planning?"

                Meanwhile, Papyrus turned to look into a detour of the labyrinth and saw something that caught his attention. There was a sphere of light floating in another path. Feeling controlled by it, Papyrus headed toward that detour and left Sans in the middle of the labyrinth. Sans didn’t realize what was happening and kept standing, thinking.

Sans: "... He's planning to hit everyone, but with what?"

                He insisted on finding an answer to that, but nothing came to his mind. Suddenly he stopped and saw that Papyrus was out of his reach. Sans looked everywhere, including the detour, but he didn’t see him there anymore.

Sans: What's going on? Where did he go?

                He turned around and saw a small sphere of light floating, slowly approaching. That glow left him hypnotized and inevitably, he felt like touching that light. When he got close, the sphere remained floating in the same place and he reached out to touch it. Immediately the light expanded, filling the place and blinding him. The light was so intense that Sans fell into a deep sleep.

                After a while, one could hear the gorge of the birds in the background. Apparently it was a beautiful morning. Sans opened his eyes slowly and found himself lying on his bed, feeling that he had slept for days. When he got up, he took a deep breath and looked at his room, they were all in the same place, including his socks, thrown all over his bedroom. He was surprised to be in his room and could swear that it wasn’t where he was before he woke up. It wasn’t long before he heard a knock on the door of his room and a recognizable voice on the other side.

Papyrus: ... Sans? Are you awake? Breakfast is ready!

Sans: … Okay?

                Feeling puzzled, he got up and put on his slippers and left the room. When he came downstairs to the kitchen, Sans heard a hum of his brother as he heard him slamming the cutlery into some utensil. Suddenly his attention was diverted to the table and Sans was amazed to see what was in it: Pancakes, cakes, wafers, breads and jellies of various flavors. Sans started to think he was delirious as he kept staring at the big table.

Sans: "That... it's a dream, isn’t it?"

                His thought was soon interrupted when Sans saw his brother talking and fiddling with something in the kitchen.

Papyrus: You're awake at the right time, brother! What did you think of the table?

                Sans couldn’t utter a word, he didn’t remember seeing his brother cook so much food in a short time. After asking the question, Papyrus turned to see him and Sans noticed he was wearing a white professional cook clothing and a fake mustache, not stopping to smooth it while waiting for an answer. Seeing him speechless, Papyrus soon wondered.

Papyrus: I see! You're so hypnotized by my cooking skills that you can hardly describe your admiration, aren’t you?

Sans: … Paps?

                Sans couldn’t believe that he was really his brother, it all seemed like a dream, what he never imagined would happen was happening before his eyes. Meanwhile, Papyrus began to look at him suspiciously, seeing his brother was acting very strange.

Papyrus: Huh ... Who do you think I am?

Sans: ... The Great Papyrus?

Papyrus: The Great, Excelent Cooker Papyrus!

                Impressed by the new title he was wearing, Sans started to laugh, not knowing when he'd started calling himself that.

Sans: Hehe... Where did you get that title?

Papyrus: The best cooker of the year trophy is in the room if you forgot.

                Papyrus did not seem to care about his reaction and turned to wash the dishes away. Sans looked at a window in the living room and saw that there were at least three trophies in Papyrus's name, he had won several titles in the cooking area and his photos showed the happiness and pride he carried when he held the trophies. Sans stared at the showcase and couldn’t help but find it very strange. He barely realized that his brother was calling him again and when Papyrus approached him to get his attention, Sans became frightened.

Papyrus: Sans! Are you sleeping upright? I don’t believe this! Have you slept so much that you are confusing the dream with reality?

Sans: Sorry, but... I can’t remember anything.

                Papyrus was intrigued by what his brother said, but seeing that he was really acting weird this morning, Papyrus decided to give it a try.

Papyrus: So let's see... What's the last thing you remember?

                Hearing this, Sans then began to focus on what had happened before waking up in this "dream". He looked at the table and, seeing the jelly and biscuits of varying sizes, he remembered to help gather the amalgamates. From there, he began to remember what happened.

Sans: ...We had to rescue the amalgamates, and then we had to enter the labyrinth because Frisk was kidnapped... We had to save her.

Papyrus: ... The human? But she's fine, no one has kidnapped her.

                Sans looked at his brother startled, he knew Papyrus would never lie to him, but hearing that didn’t make him satisfied, he felt it was something wrong.

Sans: Are you sure this isn’t a dream?

Papyrus: Of course not! How many times do I have to say that?

Sans: ... I'm sorry, I can’t convince myself.

                Sans turned and sat down on the couch, placing his hand under his skull, confused. If she's okay, how much time had passed while he slept? He saw his brother annoyed as he continued cleaning the rest of the dishes before he finished.

Papyrus: Whatever… Could you turn the TV on, please? It should start my favorite program.

                At the request of his brother, Sans took the remote control that was next to him to turn on the TV, the first program that appeared in the channel presented  Mettaton, as always. During his show, he was interviewing someone and Papyrus ran to sit next to Sans and watch the show.

Mettaton: My darlings, welcome to another "Interview of the stars with MTT" program! This time we are starring our heroine Undyne!

                After hearing her name, Sans saw Undyne appearing on the stage and sitting in an armchair next to Mettaton, she looked confident and smiled to everyone in the audience. He also noticed how Papyrus reacted by looking at her, he was so happy. He then turned his attention to the television and kept watching.

Sans: …Undyne?

Papyrus: Of course! She became a great actress! Make several series of fights, she acts so well!

                Impressed, he noticed how Undyne was neat and answered the questions subtly. Things had really changed in the village, although he was feeling something strange, Sans felt curious about the rest of the group while Papyrus was concentrated, watching the interview.

Sans: Hey Paps, what happened to Toriel and Asgore?

Papyrus: Toriel opened a school long ago, it is the largest elementary school in the city and Asgore became governor of this region, they are living well. Alphys continues with her scientific research and has already won several awards as well. We're fighting who gets more trophies this year, nyeheheheh...

                Even though everyone was well, there was still someone missing, and it was the one with whom he was concerned from the beginning.

Sans: ... And Frisk?

Papyrus: She keeps working at the monsters' embassy.

Sans: But she's here?

Papyrus: Of course! She wouldn’t abandon us again.

                Hearing that, Sans was relieved to know that everyone was well, but Papyrus interrupted him again.

Papyrus: Hey, you didn’t even ask about yourself.

Sans: I was going to ask that in the end.

Papyrus: Whatever... You're a professor of quantum physics at the university and you're famous among women... Too much.

Sans: I already knew that. And what about the amalgamates?

Papyrus: The amalgamates have been with their families some time ago.

Sans: ... And just that? Didn’t we fight anymore?

Papyrus: We haven’t fought in years! Ever since the human decided to live here, we didn’t have any more problems.

                Sans heard that and couldn’t feel it was okay, he wasn’t satisfied. He didn’t want to distrust his brother, especially as he was so convinced of what he told that it made him even more uncomfortable. His mind was so turbulent as Sans decided to quit from the house for a short time. He rose from his chair, walking to the door.

Sans: ... I'm going out for a bit.

Papyrus: Hey, you haven’t eaten yet!

Sans: I'm not hungry.

                He didn’t even mind leaving the house dressed with the clothes he also went to sleep. Then, he moved the doorknob and opened the door, suddenly, a bath of light appeared and he saw the village outside. Leaving home, he began to notice how the village was. There were colorful houses, trees with flowers, and people walking quietly through the streets. You could hear the birds singing as they flew. Looking around, the place had grown a lot and Sans couldn’t feel better standing there. He took a deep breath and filled himself vigorously as he walked along the promenade, watching people talking on the way and interacting with each other, both monsters and humans. Sans was plunged in his thoughts that he barely heard someone call him from far away, her voice was sharper every second and he realized it as he looked back to see who was calling him. Sans looked startled to see who was approaching, there was a woman dressed in a social blouse and skirt straight, wearing medium heels. Her hair was loose and flew lightly. Sans didn’t recognize her until he saw her brown eyes. When their eyes met, she smiled.

Sans: ... Kiddo?

Frisk: What a coincidence I find you here.

                He became surprised; surely he had never seen her before dressed like that. Even impressed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what’s happening to him. He turned his gaze away from her and his mind filled with doubt and disbelief.

Sans: "It's not possible... She ... She can’t be real."

Frisk: ... Are you sick?

                He looked back at her in surprise and saw she changing her expression, looking at him worried. Sans couldn’t deny that she looked adorable looking like that. There was something about her that was making him hypnotized. He again averted his gaze and tried not to look into her eyes as he answered her awkwardly.

Sans: … No, I'm fine.

Frisk: Are you sure?

Sans: Don’t worry. I'll call you later, okay?

                He smiled at her and turned to follow his path when he was interrupted again. Frisk gave a sarcastic glance and coughed slightly, making him stop walking. He turned and was startled to see her looking that way.

Frisk: Aren’t you missing anything?

Sans: What?

                Frisk rummaged through her purse and pulled out a cell phone from inside, holding it in his hand and reaching out to hand it back. Sans looked surprised at the cell phone she showed, at the same time he rummaged in his pockets and saw the cell phone he used to carry wasn’t there.

Frisk: ... You forgot your cell phone last night with me; I was going to your house to return when I saw you around here. Apparently you didn’t even miss it.

                He took the phone from her hands and seeing that it was really his, he looked back at her suspiciously.

Sans: Since when do you take other people's things?

Frisk: Since when do you suspect me?

                Although she was being sarcastic in her tone of voice, she didn’t stop smiling kindly, leaving him devoid of action. She was so confident that he couldn’t answer her question. Apparently, he felt defeated for the first time. Sans put his cell phone in his pocket and admitted.

Sans: Okay, you win.

                Even winning the little discussion, Frisk didn’t left being worried about him and Sans didn’t want to get her worried, but he knew there was something wrong as he didn’t think to omit it.

Frisk: But... How did you forget? What happened?

Sans: I'm sorry, but I woke up in the wrong place. The people, the village, all of this are being too good for me... I must be living a dream.

                After hearing his answer, she thought for a moment and looked at him again, suspicious of his words. He saw her reaction and was even more confused. What was she thinking?

Frisk: ... Is that the excuse you give to all the women you dated?

Sans: ...W-what?

                He was stunned to hear her and looked in perplexed. How did she come to that conclusion? He swore that it hadn’t even crossed his mind. But considering she knew of his fame, he hoped she wouldn’t find him a charlatan after hearing that answer. Meanwhile, Frisk couldn’t help it and began to laugh at his face, his reaction was very noticeable and she didn’t expect him to take it so seriously. Frisk realized that he needed someone to help him wake up from this "dream," but the short time they both had wasn’t enough at the time. Frisk went to look at her wristwatch and felt nervous when she saw the time.

Frisk: I'm sorry, but... I have to go to work...

Sans: Oh, right.

Frisk: You need someone to show you the reality, don’t you? ... Can we come by somewhere later?

                She was a bit embarrassed to ask, still showing an air of confidence and Sans didn’t think twice about accepting and suggesting a place for both of them to go.

Sans: Of course. I know a nice place to go.

Frisk: I'll see you at six? I'll wait for you at home.

Sans: Okay, I'll show up later.

Frisk: So... See you later, Sans.

                She came over and gave him a kiss where his cheek would be. He was scared to receive the kiss and watched her waving until she turned to go to work. As he watched her leave, he put his hand on his cheek, stunned. Sans didn’t know if she did it by custom or if it was the first time. Immediately, a thousand things popped into his mind and he tried to process everything. No matter how strange that situation was, he didn’t deny his interest in knowing her better. That look, that smile... Her sweet, subtle words penetrated his mind, repeating infinitely. After she was out of sight, he stood head down, his skull became effervescent and he displayed a blush of blue color on his face. He was trying to suppress what he felt at that moment because he had never felt this way before for someone, not even he thought it could be for her.

Sans: "What is this feeling? I can’t react like this... This... is a dream...”.

                He then returned to look the same place where Frisk had disappeared and he stared into the nowhere, among many people passing at side of him while he turned to return home.

Sans: "Frisk... is it really you? What do you want to show me is reality? Or is this just a dream? "

                On the other side of the dimension, Frisk just woke up when she felt he was lying on the floor. After being captured by Gaster, he left her in a dark room and waited for her to wake up. Frisk was feeling exhausted and got up with difficulty. After returning to consciousness, she looked around the room and felt confused.

Frisk: Where... Am I?

Gaster: ... You're in my domain, stuck in another dimension, different from what your friends are.

                At the sound of his voice, Frisk was startled to see him standing beside her. He watched her with his eyes fixed and an empty expression.

Frisk: ... What? Where are they?

Gaster: I proposed that they pass through the labyrinth until they reach you. But... considering the situation where they are... I would say they won’t complete it on time.

Frisk: What do you mean?

Gaster: See it with your own eyes.

                After saying this, Gaster created a mirage in the air, showing the view of the labyrinth and where each guardian was. She stood up and saw through the mirage that they were all stagnant like statues and staring at the wind, without any emotion on their faces. Around each one, there was a white aura as if they were being controlled by some entity. Frisk was puzzled to see her friends that way and Gaster was behind her, staring at the sight of the labyrinth with his clasped hands.

Frisk: What happened to them...? Why are they like this?

Gaster: They fell into my most deadly trap. They are within a reality created through their desires, bound to the chains of a universe created by their own minds.

                She put her hand on the reflection and inevitably she clenched her fist, whispering and wishing for her to hear it.

Frisk: Please... Wake up...

Gaster: It's useless. They can’t hear you even if you're close.

                He reached out his hand again and made the mirage disappear from close to her. Frightened, she turned to face him in awe.

Frisk: ... What do you intend to do with them?

Gaster: You'll see. It won’t be long until their powers are mine.

Frisk: "What?"

Gaster: Now, according to the deal… After they enter the labyrinth, we'll start a duel. If you survive until they reach you, I’ll release you and I won’t bother you anymore, otherwise, your power will be mine.

                Upon hearing this agreement, Frisk became surprised to know that. If there was a chance everyone would be saved from this situation, she had to stay strong. But Gaster interrupted her before she even had any conclusions.

Gaster: ... And if I were you, I wouldn’t get carried away. My enigmas are hard to solve, so... Don’t put expectations in your victory.

                At that, Frisk reacted by sweating coldly and inevitably, she stared at him with more fear. Gaster summoned his six floating hands that turned into black claws. Then, he reached for his target and they flew toward her. Frisk ran as fast as she could to get away from each of the hands and they hit a part of the floor where Frisk stepped until they all failed to hit her. Gaster made another signal and his hands fell off the ground, flying back to him. Frisk was panting and kept staring at him, seeing that he wasn’t at all tired.

Gaster: This was just a preview, the duel will start now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you think the shipp is departing... NOT NOW.  
> Well... this is surely worse than a labyrinth full of traps huh.
> 
> Hope you're liking this so far!!


	23. Despair

                 Meanwhile, Sans was getting ready for their meeting, wearing a long-sleeved polo shirt under a blue shirt, along with black pants and sneakers. After getting dressed, he saw his watch point that it was five minutes to six; he would use his teleporter when the clock ticked six o'clock sharp. When Sans left his room, he saw that no one was home and thought his brother should still be at work. When the time came, he teleported from the place to the door of her house, apparently the house of the Dreemur family hadn’t changed in its architecture, but that was just a small detail, he was very excited to see Frisk. Before he even knocked on the door, he heard voices in the background and someone called him out.

Papyrus: Hey Sans!

                 He glanced over to see his brother and surprised him by standing there. He thought Papyrus was working and didn’t expect to find him around.

Sans: Paps? What are you doing here?

Papyrus: I couldn’t leave you out, come on.

                 Papyrus was acting normally and began to walk ahead, near the promenade. Sans saw all his friends gathered around, seeing that scene made him shudder inside like a bad feeling coming. What was happening? Why were they all here? He hadn’t seen Frisk so far anywhere and few by few, his friends have made way for him to see who was behind. Suddenly, his eyes widened to see a scene that left him static. He saw Frisk standing, staring at the horizon with suitcases on the floor beside her. When Frisk realized he had arrived, she turned to look at him with a calm look.

Frisk: Sans… finally.

Sans: What are you doing here?

Frisk: ... I had to be moved again.

                 She said this sadly as she started to stare the floor, leaving him puzzled. He couldn’t believe it; it wasn’t possible that she was leaving again, leaving all of them here in the village again.

Sans: You're joking… right?

Frisk: I wish it was a joke, but...

Toriel: She just got an urgent call, they need her in the capital at any cost.

Frisk: I'm sorry Sans, but... Everyone's counting on me.

                 Even against the decision, she wouldn’t give up helping the monsters when an opportunity arose. This made him even more discontented; he knew that Frisk would act at all costs in favor of the monsters. Sans wanted to find a way to stop her departure, even though he knew he was acting in vain. Slowly, he realized something. As much as he feared this moment, he knew he couldn’t be with her all the time. One hour, he should let her go if she wanted to.

Sans: "Heh ... into thinking I thought I'd know when she'd be ready ... But ... I guess I need to be convinced of that."

                 There was only one way to know if she was really ready to leave and Sans looked at her again, staring at her, this time he had something in mind.

Sans: Wait.

                 They all turned to look at him and Frisk looked apprehensively. He changed his expression completely and stared at her.

Sans: If you really want to leave... Fight me.

Frisk: ... What?

Sans: If you really want to go, you must prove that you are ready to defend yourself.

                 Apprehensively, everyone began to argue among themselves and Undyne was about to fly over him, not understanding his intention.

Undyne: What do you intend to do with her?

Frisk: ... Okay, I'll take it.

                 Upon hearing her reply, the rest of the group looked at her, bewildered to see that she accepted the proposal. Even Sans was surprised to see her respond to the proposal, this time, showing a cold look. Even so, he didn’t lower his guard and continued to stare at her.

Sans: "I'm sorry, but... I need to know."

                 It was dusk, everyone distanced themselves from them and both went to an open area with lawn and positioned themselves. Before they began, Frisk placed a hand in the middle of the chest and from there, it come a small light, extending until it turned into a brilliant heart; she took her hand from her chest and in the same place materialized a staff that she used. Frisk gripped the staff firmly and stared at him, braced herself. As well, Sans just watched her, seeing that she could no longer transform herself as before, but she could use her weapons. He let her make the first move and Frisk positioned her staff in front of her and closed her eyes, concentrating; several spheres of light were summoned and flew around her; standing still, the staff began to glow and the number of spheres tripled. Opening her eyes, she looked at the target and the balls flew toward him, waiting none command.

                 Seeing the spheres approaching him quickly, Sans jumped back and summoned a column of bones to counteract the attack. Many of the spheres collided with the wall, but it was enough to break them, leaving half of the spheres in flight. He jumped back again, creating yet another barrier forward. It was instantly destroyed, leaving only a few spheres that were close enough to reach him, Sans had no choice but to stop the time to throw bones in the air and collide in time, creating dust in the air. When the time returned to normal, Sans wasn’t surprised to see her stronger than before. In the cloud of smoke, suddenly, Frisk appeared to punch him in the trunk, but Sans swerved in time. Frisk turned to try again, again and again, to no avail. In one last attempt, Sans held her fist to leave her without action.

Sans: You're really strong, but you have to do better than that.

                 He pushed her back and Frisk managed to keep herself upright as she held onto the ground, sighing loudly and breathlessly. Sans also began to feel tired since his last fight.

Sans: "Is it my impression or did I slow down?"

                 In a state of hesitation, Frisk held her staff tighter and began to whisper, placing her hand on her chest.

Frisk: It's not enough... I need more power...

                 The staff began to glow and instantly, it changed shape, becoming a sharp blade. Sans saw that and began to feel pale, not expecting it.

Sans: "... Is she taking this seriously?"

                 Quickly she stepped up against him, brandishing her blade with force and might, trying to hit him in any way. Sans didn’t cease to feel frightened to see her act this way and deviated from all her movements, he couldn’t believe she really intended to strike him. Inevitably, he activated his left eye and reached out his hand to control her soul, pushing her back hard. That way, Frisk was eventually pushed away and couldn’t move while her soul was controlled by his magic.

Sans: Wait! You don’t have to go so far as to hurt me.

                 Frisk stood still and her face had changed a lot, she didn’t look at him, neither gave a response at the sound of it. Seeing her responseless, Sans didn’t know what else to do, he feared he had overreacted and didn’t know what her intentions were anymore, he tried to call her one last time, desperate.

Sans: ... Can you hear me?

Frisk: ... More... Determination!

                 After saying this, her heart on her chest glowed intensely and filled the whole place, blinding him again. He couldn’t help but look at the light and again, he fell into a deep sleep.

                 It was cold, icy winds surrounded all the place where he was. Opening his eyes, Sans saw that he was inside a forest. He got up slowly and looked where he was: the trees that surrounded him, the snow under the ground... it were very recognizable. Sans didn’t expect to be back in the Underground and realized he was wearing the same clothes as before, it also meant that his height became smaller again. He looked at himself desperately.

Sans: No... she... she'd back in time?

                 In the background, there was a dense fog that couldn’t let him see the road to Snowdin. He started to walk and looked around as the mist went out. A few steps forward, he felt he had stepped on rubble. He turned his head to look down and saw that it was a lot of dust. All around him were traces of dust, blood, and torn clothing. Sans knew that terrifying sight and didn’t believe his worst nightmare was real. Inevitably, Sans remembered when he'd been in the ruins to hunt humans. He saw that several of them preferred to assassinate monsters to become strong, to beat their opponents and to leave the underground. But what Sans didn’t expect was by reporting it to Gaster, he blamed him for any incident that humans had caused to other monsters. The scene before his eyes made all the guilt of the past return to his back. Even he could hear the harsh words he heard from disobeying him.

Gaster: _"... I ordered you to kill them, not observe them how to act. Humans are dirty, cruel, capable of annihilating anyone they meet along the way, and they will do it because there are no limits to their genocide..."_

                 Walking ahead, he found more dust and it created a trail to the village of Snowdin. With each step taken toward the village, his rancor increased even more. When Sans arrived at his destination, the village was utterly deserted. The houses were empty and the bar was as if a hurricane had passed inside it, and also, the library was silent.

                 It wasn’t long before he heard a familiar voice on the way out, recognizing that it was his brother's voice. At the end of the road of Snowdin, Sans saw Papyrus with open arms, watching the child in front of him, slowly approaching.

Papyrus: Listen human... I know there's something good inside you, I know you can do that...

                 The child didn’t move and held her knife without even giving a reply. Meanwhile, Papyrus looked at her, trembling.

Papyrus: ... If you stop acting like this, I promise we can be friends. I… I believe you...

                 The child began to sob and suddenly, she raised the knife to strike him at once. Sans saw that intent and immediately, he ran to stop her, pushing her to the side and knocking her to the floor, knocking over the knife.

Sans: I won’t forgive you!

                 He showed his furious countenance and before the child could retrieve the fallen knife, Sans stepped on her fist ruthlessly, preparing to hit her with his bones. But before he could kill her, he heard his brother scream in terror.

Papyrus: ...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

                 When Sans overheard his brother, he stopped and turned to look at him, startled. He noticed that Papyrus was pale as he stared at him, trying to backing away from him. Sans didn’t understand why his brother started acting like that, he was defending him, why was he afraid? Before Sans called him by his name, Papyrus decided to turn and run away, making him even more confused and perplexed. He couldn’t understand what was happening and then, he looked at himself and saw that he was dressed in other robes. The same clothes he wore to disguise himself, being also the same one he used when confronting other humans.

                 When he realized this, Sans looked at the child and to his astonishment, it was her, shivering and dying of cold. Frisk was filthy with dirt and blood, trying to catch the fallen knife beside her at all costs. Perplexed, Sans took his foot from her fist and she managed to reach for the knife the instant he released it. Before she could move, Sans took her fist and they both teleported into the judgment hall.

                 Inside the hall, the lights lit the yellowing walls and the bells were ringing loudly, announcing that the hour of judgment had come. There they stood face to face, on one side, Frisk didn’t dare to look at him and neither move. On the other, Sans was aware of any movement of her. Deep down, her soul was agonized to see that it was she who caused the genocide. The sight he was having at that moment was different from all he had before. All the humans he faced didn’t cause as many deaths as now, and of all those humans he met, there was not one he'd gotten more attached to. It was like going through your own judgment, having to go back to the past and living again what he decided to quit. They both knew the artifact and this time, he saw with his own eyes what she was capable of doing, he began to wonder if it was really his fault to have let her out. But within him, he refused to believe it was real. After the bells stopped ringing, a silence hung in the place that seemed an eternity, until sobs were heard.

Frisk: ...You came... to kill me?

                 Hearing this, he felt more perplexed, feeling that his soul was about to break off seeing that scene. Meanwhile, Frisk was still sobbing and shaking, not looking at him.

Frisk: I know... I wanted to prove you, but... I couldn’t contain myself... This power is too strong... If you let me live... I won’t stop, so...

Sans: ...Stop, please...

Frisk: ... I beg you... As long as I can hold on... please...

                 She dropped the knife to the floor and knelt down, holding herself to make no further moves. She was shaking abruptly and sobbing as tears streamed from her eyes.

                _"... Kill me."_

                 Sans trembled at the scene, agonized to see her in this position, waiting to be killed. Slowly, he reached out reluctantly, but nothing came out at his command. Suddenly he used his other hand to stop himself from killing her and his eyes closed in agony. He felt he couldn’t do this, he refused to accept that she was able to do all that genocide. But still, the feelings she showed and her willingness to restrain herself from hurting him made him realize that she was really Frisk. Not knowing what to do, Sans felt the desperation seizing his impotent soul.

                 Too late to try anything, Frisk couldn’t help herself and took the knife immediately, advancing with a cold look, but full of tears. Sans looked back at her and reacted with his magic, making her push back and encircle her with a barrier of bones. He didn’t dare to hurt her and his soul ached to see her like this. The barrier wasn’t enough to stop her, she broke it into a thousand pieces and moved forward again to hit him, there were several attempts at accuracy and several detours until he was able to hold her fist again. The knife was very close to hitting him and both being close; he could see the desperation in her eyes equally. Sans again used his magic to push her away and save time, at that point, Frisk began to feel exhausted from using her power so much. Slightly, Frisk regained control of herself and she knelt down again, crying.

Frisk: ... Help me...

                 Overcome by her despair, Sans quickly approached, wanting to see if she had hurt herself so much during their fight. However, he didn’t realize that Frisk lost control of herself too quickly. Involuntarily, she moved forward with a movement and struck him, cutting his chest. An agonizing pain came from the cut received, seeing that it really was real. At that moment, time slowly walked towards him and his vision darkened, his last focus was the view of her, standing in front of him, watching his death. One last question popped into his mind after seeing her.

Sans: ... Why? ...

                 He felt his body fall slowly to the ground and he thought he had been killed, however, he was entering into a deep trance, caused by the desperation of his soul.

                 Far away, Frisk and Gaster were in a duel and she did everything possible to dodge his attacks, however, she didn’t know what to do without her powers. After that, they both stopped when they felt something happened in the labyrinth. Frisk felt that something terrible had happened, but to Gaster it was a success.

Gaster: Yes... The time has come! Their powers are now under my control.

Frisk: But... What's going on?

Gaster: See what happens when your dreams become your worst nightmare!

                 He again made the mirage appear before her and Frisk approached again, seeing each of his friends again. One by one, they were kneeling, trembling and showing their agony for what they are passing through now. The aura that covered them this time was black and was sucking their energies, leaving them weak and powerless. Frisk saw that scene terrified, she had no idea what they were going through, but she was sure they were in terrible situations. Seeing them suffering this way broke her heart of nonconformity and Frisk closed her fist of anger.

Frisk: ... Why are you doing this?... They are suffering!

                 Gaster didn’t answer her question and made the mirage disappear in an instant. Frisk saw it and turned to face him furiously. She couldn’t let him continue to hurt them; she had to do something before it was too late. She knew her powers were somewhere inside her, so, using all her willpower, Frisk became filled with determination and focused on getting her powers back.

Frisk: "For my friends and the life they had trusted me... give me the determination I need to defeat the darkness."

                 She felt that she was the only one who could reverse this situation, being determined to help her friends, her determination increased so much that she felt that something was emerging. Frisk saw a light rise in front of her, materializing in a bright white heart. It left her with an aura of light around her, but as long as Frisk hadn’t transformed, she felt she could defend herself using the strength of her soul.

                 On the other hand, Gaster continued to admire such determination Frisk possessed, able even to use her soul as a shield. This was the perfect chance to possess her soul. With no waste of time, he summoned his six floating hands, each one glowing in the color equivalent to the souls of the guardians; he was able to control their powers according to the despair that dominated them.

Gaster:  That's it human... Show me all the determination you have... I'll show you the true power of the guardians!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh sorry for the angst... Dx  
> But personally, this is one of my favorite chapters. :x  
> Frisk needs to teach him a lesson u.u


	24. Daydream

                Within the illusion of each guardian, Asgore had just come out of his office and as he drove home, he noticed that he had stopped in an immense garden, full of flowers. He was surprised that the garden was there, thinking he had made the wrong way home. However, he didn’t even seem to care, his curiosity spoke louder and he wanted to explore that garden and spend a good time beside those lush flowers. Asgore got out of the car and started to walk through them and smell the sweet scent they exhaled. It was wonderful to be there, he finally found a piece of heaven on earth and he wouldn’t feel better to be anywhere else than there. Asgore then decided to pick several of those flowers to take home and put together a bouquet.

                Picking each flower and grabbing all of them together, suddenly he looked at one flower and realized he had seen it before. Then, he noticed it move and turn the kernels up to see him, it was Flowey. When Asgore saw him, he became perplexed and ended up letting go of all the flowers he had picked, making them falling to the ground. Flowey smiled at him terrifyingly and then, windstorms came around him, making the flowers in the garden bustle and disappear. Asgore shielded himself from that tornado and when it disappeared, Flowey had transformed into his omega form and laughed diabolically at Asgore.

Flowey: Everything you got… Destroyed in no time! You'll never get your life back!

                Asgore looked around and noticed that the garden had indeed disappeared, and besides, everything was gone. He was in a totally dark place and could only see that creepy form of Flowey before his eyes. He looked terrified and suddenly, the memory of having lost all that was valuable in his life, like wife and children, reappeared in his mind, lefting him disturbed. Asgore closed his eyes and tried to do anything to forget it, but it was useless, Flowey kept shouting louder, making him desperate.

                Meanwhile, Undyne was leaving the dressing room to record another episode of a series of action in which she was the protagonist. Everything was ready to start filming when Undyne saw the scenery and realized that there was a giant monster terrorizing and attacking the people of a village. She looked at the perplexed spot and didn’t think twice about stopping that monster, but when she was about to go there, the director of the series prevented her.

Director: Undyne! The scene is part of the episode, don’t you dare to attack that monster!

Undyne: But he's attacking people!

Director: If you do this, we won’t finish the series!

Undyne: But...

Director: ...We’ll start in five minutes!

                The director rushed the actors to start filming and Undyne felt torn, she didn’t know what to do right now. She didn’t want to ruin the series because acting in a fight series was her dream since new. But she felt if she did nothing, it would be staining her name and her honor. In the midst of this inner conflict, a recognizable voice popped into her mind and Undyne became static as she listened to him.

?: "... Undyne! You will never be a warrior if you do not fight for your people. "

Undyne: "... I'm trying ..."

                Undyne had closed her eyes when she remembered her father's voice. Opening them, she recalled her past and found herself younger, training with him to be a warrior. In the old days, he was the captain of the Royal Guard and Undyne wished to follow his own path. Initially, he was reluctant not to train her and after much insistence, he eventually gave in, training her severely. At that moment, Undyne was reaching her limit and stopped moving, catching her breath, but that didn’t satisfy him.

?: "... It is not enough! Do you think the enemy will be pitiful to you? "

Undyne: ... I know not!

?: "You can’t stop now!"

                Seeing that scene, Undyne remembered that day, he made her reach her limit and couldn’t continue her training. During the last blow she gave, Undyne fainted from exhaustion and let her spear fall. Seeing this, he lowered his head and sighed loudly.

?: "I knew it... you can’t be a warrior."

                She watched him turn and leave her there, lying on the floor. Undyne saw that and felt spiteful that she wasn’t strong enough to show the opposite. And on the same day, Undyne knew he had been possessed and killed by a dark entity while fighting. Since that happened, she couldn’t be satisfied that she was weak, she wanted to prove that she was strong enough to defeat the darkness in his place. Undyne stopped seeing the sight of the past and looked back at the scenery, watching the possessed monster attack the people of the village. While she didn’t move, the monster turned to see her and began to speak in the same voice as her father, making her see him instead.

_“You do not deserve to be a real warrior!"_

                That way, she looked back at him and despair slammed into her mind and soul, making her vision dim as her mind panicked.

                Meanwhile, Toriel was inside her school teaching her students until the interval bell began to ring. During the break, Toriel took the children to play in the courtyard as she watched them for a while, glad to see how they were amusing themselves. But Toriel saw one of the children standing alone in a corner of the courtyard, she looked tenderly and approached to talk to that child, but gradually, Toriel seemed to recognize the silhouette of that child. She looked terrified and thought it was Asriel, her son. She approached him quickly to touch his shoulder and then, Asriel turned to her with an empty expression. She looked puzzled to see his body full of vines that kept growing and filling it. Asriel at that moment became a half-plant monster and he began to attack her. Toriel couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and seeing the vineyards rise from the ground, she managed to deflect herself by jumping back. However, the children didn’t see the vineyards reach them and were eventually captured. Toriel didn’t know what to do to help, not believing that the freak had been his son. The children didn’t stop shouting for help and in the middle of the confrontation, police came to defeat Asriel, but Toriel didn’t let them intervene.

Toriel: No! Do not hurt him, please!

                Asriel saw the cops approaching him, holding firearms. He didn’t spare them and made a giant vine grow on his arm to whip them, causing them to fall. Toriel saw that scene and couldn’t do anything. How was she going to defend her children? She didn’t dare to hurt that monster, because he was her son too. Possessed or not, Toriel didn’t dare to attack him because of her maternal instinct, and that left her in utter despair.

                Mettaton was invited to attend a world awards event for the best actors, broadcast live worldwide. He would open the show and would compete alongside other actors for the world's biggest superstar trophy. As he made the opening, one of the judges handed him an envelope for Mettaton to open and receive the result. To his surprise, when  he pulled the paper and read the name, the winner was himself. Mettaton looked surprised at the paper and saw the audience applauding him, along with the actors next to him, congratulating for the achievement. He was speechless to see that his greatest dream had been realized. In the middle of the celebration, several people arrived to decorate him with a crown and a huge bouquet of flowers. Not knowing what to say, he just thanked everyone and was invited to give a speech to everyone present while the broadcast was live.

Mettaton: Thank you ... It's always been my dream to get here, to see my world-renowned talent, the love for my work and how my fans really love my shows. But I owe everything to Frisk, who freed the underground monsters, and to my friends too, if it were not for them, I would not be treading on that wonderful soil that is my program, thank you very much.

                After speaking, he saw that part of the audience was confused and argued among themselves, amidst various applause. When he left the stage, journalists interrupted him to hold a press conference.

\- "When you mentioned your friends, who were they?"

Mettaton: That's a long story.

\- "Who is Frisk?"

Mettaton: ... What?

\- "Mettaton, wasn’t it you who told us that you freed the monsters underground?"

                Those questions left him puzzled, did the journalists never knew the truth? Or was the media able to handle everything? He stared at them in astonishment.

Mettaton: I didn’t say that!

\- "Mettaton, tell us more about how you defeated those beings possessed by darkness, how you managed to shoot that light!"

Mettaton: "What's happening? This ... is a lie ... "

                He refused to answer questions from the journalists and knocked the flowers down, pushing them and running out of the event. As he left the local, he looked up and saw the city filled with signs set in his name and several screens set in the buildings displaying only his programs. He couldn’t understand what was happening; it was like a dream and at the same time a lie. How he wanted to share this life with his friends, but if neither Frisk nor his friends were with him, Mettaton was definitely alone. Helpless, despair took hold of his being.

                And lastly, Papyrus was inside a five-star restaurant, being the chef. He was proud of the trophies he had received, arranged near the door where the food was dispatched. At the moment, Papyrus was preparing various recipes for his clients who were waiting outside when he heard a loud noise rising. Suspicious, he opened the door to the hallway and came upon a bunch of small creatures slamming into the kitchen and devouring everything that lay like pests. Papyrus was startled to see it and shouted at them.

Papyrus: You! Stop devouring my customers' food!

                The creatures only ignored him and continued to devour everything they saw. Papyrus saw that he would have to appeal using his two bones as swords and he tried to expel several of them boldly, but several of the creatures jumped up to his arm and bit him, knocking him down and backing away. Papyrus couldn’t stop feeling pain in his hand and saw that the waiters were calling him, waiting for the food to be delivered to the customers. In this situation, he found himself desperate, the food he had left ready was devoured by the plagues and he had no time.

Papyrus: "That can’ be... my clients are waiting for me! What do I do?"

                While the creatures continued devouring everything, he imagined that he would be fired and entering the newspaper with a bad criticism about his restaurant. Such thoughts made him despair in the same way.

                Meanwhile, in another dimension, Frisk and Gaster began the duel and she watched him make his first move. He ordered one of his hands to turn orange and Frisk noticed it was receiving energy from Undyne while she was being controlled; he then aimed his hand at Frisk and ordered.

Gaster: ...Bravery, Shocking Punch.

                The hand turned into a boxing glove and closed his fist, flying toward Frisk at high speed. Close to hitting her, Frisk managed to slip away in time to be struck by the hand, but she didn’t realize that the glove had a will of its own. It turned again in the opposite direction to hit her and she hit Frisk's back with a great impact. Frisk felt the punch from behind her and even with the defense acquired by the force of her soul, the impact was so great that it made her scream and fall to the ground in pain. Seconds later, Frisk struggled to her feet and shivered in pain until she was able to stand on the floor. Gaster was just testing his new powers and saw how much Frisk had resisted.

Gaster: You saw what she can do... Can you do that? Or don’t you know the power you have to cause pain to others?

Frisk: ... I don’t want to cause pain to anyone...

Gaster: You deny using your full capacity and do you think you're earning something by doing this? Prove that you are the chosen one or suffer!

                This time, in addition to using the hand that was with the orange aura, he used another hand, glowing in the dark blue color, equivalent to Mettaton.

Gaster: Integrity, Supersonic Kick.

                Frisk saw that now both hands were advancing at high speed like missiles. She ended up having an idea as she let them approach and waited for them to reach her. With her determination, Frisk waited for the right moment and when they were about to hit her, Frisk bent her trunk back with her speeding power, making the missiles pass over her as she strayed. The two hands inevitably parted as they passed, and as Frisk rose to her feet, the two missiles approached her in parallel and in opposite directions. Again, she waited for them to approach and was about to hit her once more, she turned away from them hoping back and inevitably, both hands collided, causing them to explode.

Gaster: Very shrewd...

                He said this by showing anger at the idea Frisk had. Impatiently, Gaster used another hand, glowing again in the dark blue color. He caused several chains summoned to grab Frisk, but she used her determination to keep from being caught by the chains. The force of her soul made Frisk move again at high speed to divert herself from the multiple chains that came from all sides. Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to grasp her, Gaster decided to use another aura and the same hand began to glow in the purple color. Frisk saw that Toriel was also being manipulated and Gaster used her powers to make Frisk motionless.

Gaster: Perseverance, Psychic field.

                He invoked a psychic field around Frisk. As she felt her limbs move in control of his mind, she could only look at what he was doing. Gaster used his other hand and there was an aura of light blue color, equivalent to Asgore.

Gaster: Patience, Sword of Light.

                The hand turned into a sword bathed in gigantic light. Then, he made a move that triggered a growing ray of light, reaching Frisk. She saw the attack coming toward her and immediately, she closed her eyes and thought of her friends. How will they be now? What are they feeling when they are controlled by him? She couldn’t let this go on, now that she's up against the enemy, she had to fight for them this time, "to prove she's the one."

                She closed her fist and her soul shone brightly as Frisk received the blow from Asgore's sword. His soul was trying to nullify the damage received, and seeing that, Gaster realized that she was getting close to her limit. He removed the psychic field around her and Frisk fell to the ground, exhausted, but again she showed the strength to get up, even with great difficulty.

Gaster: ... You really are stubborn. Know that your resistance won’t last long, give up at once.

Frisk: No... I won’t give up, not while my friends are suffering in your hands.

Gaster: Huh... whatever.

                Gaster just watched her coldly and made his four hands start to glow yellow, inducing Sans power. He summoned four pistols and they were carrying maximum energy to execute her. Frisk didn’t know how long she would be able to defend herself, she didn’t have enough strength to fight more because of the over-determination she ended up using. Frisk then began to realize that while they were fighting; her friends would still be used. If she had more power, she might have a chance to stop him, but Gaster was too strong.

Gaster: ...Your last words?

                She then lowered her head and realized there was only one way out. She had to surrender; there was no chance for her. Frisk hated having to do it, but if it was for the sake of her friends, she wouldn’t hesitate. Even she knew she wouldn’t be breaking the promise, for she always cared for others more than herself.

                Meanwhile, he just kept waiting for his answer until Frisk decided to speak.

Frisk: Please... Release them... I surrender.

Gaster: ... So that's it. You just wanted the good for your friends and not for you... Interesting.

                Immediately, he made the four hands stop and they returned to normal, however, they flew to Frisk, grabbing her arms and legs and leaving her motionless once more. Frisk was startled by this and didn’t understand what he was trying to do.

Gaster: So that's what humans call love? What a chemical reaction is able to do with the brains of creatures like you... It's amazing...

                He began to open a sinister smile as he approached Frisk, making her more agonized as he watched him approach her.

Gaster: I confess that this has excited my curiosity in knowing your feelings, human. I’m sorry, but I won’t kill you now... I will go deeper into your mind and know the deeps of yourself!

                In front of the bright white heart that was on her chest, Gaster made his right hand turn a black claw and it went to her soul to grab her, shocking all over her body. Frisk only felt excruciating pain and screamed loudly as Gaster analyzed all the connections of her brain, including her feelings. He also felt the enormous power that came from her soul and it made him euphoric, wanting to rip her soul out. Immediately, her power reacted before he seized it, illuminating the whole spot with its light. Gaster realized the immense power that had arisen and tried to resist, but the light reacted immensely against him, blinding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too see them in uther despair breaks my heart.  
> But there's always a light in the end of the tunnel, right? So how should they leave this situation?  
> Hope you like it!


	25. Conscience

                   Meanwhile, inside the dream, Sans was alone in a totally dark place. Hopelessly, he felt guilty for having made her awaken the destructive power she owned. And along with the memories of his past, his soul was totally depressed. After some time, he began to notice that someone was calling him. Little by little, the voice became clear.

?: ... Hey bud, are you there?

                   Sans opened his eyes and heard that approaching voice, it was strangely recognizable. He stood up and turned to look who was there, calling him when surprisingly, Sans looked perplexed at himself by his side. The other one was acting normally and wore his normal clothes, while the real one remained disguised, but the hood down, with the cut of the knife in his chest. He didn’t understand why, but seeing himself on the other side made him forget the pain.

?: Good thing, I thought you had been deaf.

Sans: ... What?

?: What's up? What are you doing there, bro?

Sans: But... Are you me?

?: Yeah... Have you ever heard of the theory of awareness?

Sans: So you came to make me aware?

?: Hehe, theoretically. I saw that you're having a huge problem, so I came to help you.

                   Sans wasn’t surprised to hear himself saying such things. That seemed like another illusion, but honestly, it didn’t matter to him anymore, Sans was so sure of what had just happened that he thought there was nothing more to be done. He made a yellow smile as he stared at the floor.

Sans: Heh... I don’t know if you can help me.

?: ... Cause?

Sans: She knows the destructive power she has, I incited her to commit genocide and now ... It's done. I'm dead inside, definitely.

                   The other version of him stared at him without sketching any reaction. They didn’t say anything for a few seconds and a silence pondered the place. Suddenly, the conscience began to speak in an ironic way.

?: Pff ... And you believed she was even able to do that?

                   Sans's eyes widened and he became intrigued by what he said. What did he mean? He even saw what Frisk did and only a blind man would doubt what just happened. However, his conscience remained convinced of what he was talking about.

?: ... Wasn’t her the one who freed the monsters underground? Who helped you to prosper with humans?

Sans: ...This is all over!

?: Well... You choose which truth to follow.

Sans: But that doesn’t make any sense!

                   His conscience had shrugged and let him reflect on it. But by now, Sans thought he was delirious by hearing everything he said. He couldn’t understand what he meant and his mind filled with doubts, but Sans stopped as he saw his conscience approaching; stopping in front of him.

?: There is only one truth, the truth which you are a guardian. And it's right there.

                   He pointed to his chest, the same place where his soul was. Sans looked where he pointed and placed his hand on his chest, notoriously feeling that his badge wasn’t with him, strangly. Again his conscience spoke again.

?: ... Our eyes can deceive us, but our soul can’t. Feel free to decide your destination.

                   Again, Sans put his hand on his chest and began to understand that what he was going through wasn’t a reality whatsoever. His confidence was at stake, and he let his fear overpower him. He then remembered the promise they had made to each other and Frisk promised never to stop being the person they all know. That was the key he needed to remember. From then on, what he had seen so far was only a dream, as well as his conscience, when he saw it decided, spoke again.

?: So tell me... What are you doing here? Don’t you have a mission to fulfill?

Sans: Heh ... I missed the time.

                   They both smiled at each other and after that, Sans closed his eyes and decided to go back to where he had been previously. His mind made him go back to the judgment palace, and when he opened his eyes, he was still lying in the same place when he was struck and realized that Frisk was still standing, looking at him. Sans had no difficulty getting up and he stood up as if nothing had happened, looking at her calmly. Frisk watched him rise and became surprised.

Frisk: ... You’re alive!

Sans: Heh... Did I make you wait too long?

Frisk: So... Are you really going to kill me?

Sans: No ...

                   Saying this, a glow appeared in front of him and it materialized to his badge, in front of his chest. A swirl of wind came around, making him change shape. Thanks to his transformation, Sans returned to his current stature as he was woring his guardian uniform. He made his weapon appear and placed it on his left arm, pointing at her.

Sans: ... I'll take you to the reality that belongs to you.

                   After hearing this, Frisk closed her eyes and didn’t dare to move, letting the knife fall. She smiled serenely when she saw that she was about to leave this place.

_"Thanks..."_

                   Sans looked at her one more time and threw his shot at her, pulverizing her. Suddenly the scene began to shatter into small pieces and Sans noticed it was in an entirely white setting, with bright particles falling from above. In the background, he heard a voice unlike any he had heard.

- _"When all remorse should be suppressed, justice shall prevail."_

                   That phrase penetrated his soul, making himself boil inside. Soon, his conscience appeared beside him and spoke again.

\-  "The path you have chosen is the truth of your universe.

                   Sans looked at the consciousness, but this time, he was no longer himself, his form had changed to an ethereal body, glowing a yellow bright color. Sans just watched him, uneasy.

Sans: You haven’t told me who you are yet.

\- ... I am the soul of justice that lives within your emblem. Now is the time to go, may the God of Light be with you.

                   After saying this, the spirit became a small sphere of light, returning to its place of origin, the emblem. To get out of that place, the badge shone brightly so that Sans turned into a light and could fly above the stage, becoming a comet.

                   Meanwhile, Asgore was in front with Omega Flowey and he used his trident to stop him from attacking, doing everything he could to stop that flower, but it was still intact. Exhausted, he put his hand on his chest and realized that his badge wasn’t with him. Flowey didn’t stop laughing sarcastically as he continued to try to attack him.

Flowey: You're no match for me!

                   Suddenly, Asgore remembered when he first saw Flowey, he was cornered and cursed by that flower, and when he saw Frisk, Asgore remembered that he had no will of his own and attacked her without mercy. He did all he could to make up for his mistake and knew the sacrifice Frisk had made for the monsters to thrive. This time, Asgore wouldn’t let Flowey overpower him again. Without his powers, Asgore mustered enough courage to declare his defeat. If he had to die before the flower, he would be at peace, knowing he had a chance to fight beside her to redeem himself. Then he knelt, holding his trident propped up, convinced of what he was doing.

Asgore: ... If I have to die, I’ll die in peace, because I have done the will of my people.

Flowey: ... IDIOT!

                   He was about to hit him when a shield of light appeared, shielding Asgore from being attacked. Flowey had its vines ricocheted by the shield and the light expanded, consuming it. When Asgore opened his eyes, he saw that he became transformed and stood up, surprised to see that he was alive. As he turned to the side, he saw an ethereal spirit of light blue color speaking to him.

_\- "There will be no obstacle beyond the patience."_

Asgore: ... I see.

                   He smiled at the spirit and it returned to his emblem. Then, Asgore looked up to the sky and saw a light flying in the sky. He felt the light was calling him, so his badge flashed brightly and Asgore turned into another light, following that which was in the heavens.

                   In another scenario, Undyne was standing still, overcome by fear. Inside her conscious, she kept thinking of her father's words, she listened to the words of the past and began to accept that she had no courage to be a warrior. But suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when she opened her eyes, seeing a child standing next, looking at her.

Girl: You... Is it Undyne?

Undyne: Yeah, what are you doing here kid?

                   When she knew it was herself, the child was delighted and smiled broadly, leaving Undyne in surprise.

Girl: ... Do you even make those incredible scams?

                   Hearing that made Undyne forget the troubles of the past, she barely knew there was an admirer like that child and then, she was excited in the same way and smiled equally.

Undyne: Of course! Nobody can beat me!

Girl: Cool! I adore you Undyne! You are my favorite heroine!

                   Undyne became so happy to see the excitement of that girl. After she had said it, the child ran away with a semblance of joy and for a moment, Undyne let her words touch her deeply. Then, Undyne began to realize that it really didn’t matter how much she struggled, oddly enough at some point there would be someone who would notice her effort and not necessarily someone close to her.

                   She then embraced that truth by remembering the children at the Toriel school, they admired her for her strength and her hard way. Undyne also remembered her friends, whom she cared about. After reflecting on it, Undyne turned to look at the scene and saw the monster attacking insidiously, and then, she looked at the director and saw that he was talking to the producers.

Undyne: ... You know what? Screw you.

                   She wasted no time and advanced against the monster, summoning her spears at him. The monster turned and received her spears, being hit. It wasn’t long before the monster managed to stand up and look at her again, trying to scare her.

\- "You do not deserve to be a guardian!"

Undyne: I don’t have to prove anything to you!

                   She was no longer afraid of him, instead of that, her fury was focused on defeating that monster that was the embodiment of her own fear. Undyne placed a hand on her chest and noticed that her badge wasn’t with her, looking frightened. That monster then used his tail to push her away while she was distracted and she was hit back. As soon as she fell, the director rightly saw her and drew her attention again, this time he was really angry.

Director: Undyne! Get back here, right now!

Undyne: Don’t tell me what I should do! They need me now and I won’t disappoint them, because I am their heroine!

                   The monster was advancing against her another time and meanwhile, Undyne felt a tremendous power rising inside her. The emblem had returned on her chest and she was transformed. The monster went away, blinded by the light emitted by her badge and Undyne quickly stepped forward to defeat him, this time, closing her fist and focusing on him.

Undyne: Bravery ... Shocking Punch!

                   She jumped on and punched directly into the monster's head, making him fall, knocked out. Fainted on the floor, Undyne looked at the fallen monster and the people it had frightened. They cautiously approached her and began to greet her, grateful. She then placed her hand on her chest, swearing to herself.

Undyne: As long as I live, I swear to protect those who can’t defend themselves.

\- _"Those who dare to overcome their weakness will know the bravery of spirit."_

                   Undyne turned to see who spoke the phrase and then, she saw a bright orange ethereal spirit. Undyne looked at it in surprise and then, it returned to her badge. Seconds later, Undyne looked up and saw the lights that were flying in the sky, beckoning her. She answered the request and turned into another light, following them.

                   In another scenario, Toriel continued to watch his son dominated by the vineyards, hurting the children and chasing away the officers, causing them to take more drastic measures to contain him. Toriel looked at that and saw that she could not stay there, urgently, she crossed her hands and prayed in distress, and at the same time, Toriel heard a voice within her consciousness.

\- "Keep good memories in mind, trust your intuition, and then you'll know what to do."

                   After hearing that, Toriel realized that everyone's fate was in her hands. Seeing this, she closed her eyes and accepted those words that came from her conscious.

Toriel: My son... He always was and always will be loved by all.

                   She then opened her eyes and gained confidence, gradually approaching him. Asriel turned to watch her approach and made his arm turn toward to hit her. The policemen saw this and tried to warn her to flee, but she held the vine that was going to hit her, facing her son.

Toriel: That's enough, Asriel!

                   Asriel became static at her sound and the cops didn’t understand what she wanted to do. She kept staring at him and began to berate.

Toriel: Look what you did! Didn’t I teach you to respect others?

                   Asriel heard his rebuke and felt irritated once more. Again, he tried to push her harder with his arm again. As soon as he did, Toriel tried again to stop that attack, but the blow was strong enough to push her and throw against a wall. Although she took damage, she resisted and continued to hold her arm, as she stared at him with some fear.

Toriel: Please ... Remember who you are...

                   Asriel ignored her pleading, but there was something in her gaze that began to make him static. Instead of hitting her even more, he couldn’t stop staring at her eyes. The policemen just watched the two of them and Toriel began to smile at her son.

Toriel: It's okay... No one's gonna hurt you here, I promise.

                   He didn’t understand what was happening, but Toriel was speaking with such tenderness and love that he felt she was someone special. Slowly, Asriel began to take the vine from near Toriel and suddenly, she felt something emanating from within, her emblem was back and she was transformed in that moment.

                   Seeing her transformation, Asriel was blinded by that light and Toriel summoned a psychic field around them. From this magic, she was able to share the memories with her son. He then remembered who he was and seeing the same memories, Asriel began to shake, releasing everyone he had caught. In an instant, he began to moan and cry, disconsolate. Seeing that he had managed to stop his actions, Toriel hugged him one last time.

Toriel: I'm with you now; it's going to be okay.

Asriel: Mama...

                   When they received that hug, the vineyards began to slowly disappear from his body and he returned to normal, looking at his mother with a semblance of peace.

Asriel: Thank you... Mom...

                   Gradually he was disappearing again and Toriel continued to hold him in her arms until he disappeared completely. Then, she looked up, seeing his last sparks flying in the sky. At that moment, everyone had disappeared, leaving only her. Toriel turned and saw her ethereal spirit in purple color beside her.

_\- "Perseverance will bring strength to the humble."_

                   Toriel smiled at it and the spirit turned into a light, returning to her emblem. She then looked up and found the lights that were flying in the sky, feeling that she should accompany them. She had become another light to reach them.

                   Mettaton was trapped inside his consciousness, staring into nowhere when he heard someone approaching. He quickly lifted his head and looked around, looking for someone.

Mettaton: Who's there?

                   Suddenly, a melancholy voice appeared and someone appeared, Napstablook was looking at him worriedly and thought he was being an intruder.

Napstablook: I ... I didn’t want to bother you...

Mettaton: Blooky! It's good to see you!

                   The robot quickly approached the little ghost and hugged him, leaving him in surprise. At least Mettaton knew he was no longer alone and was relieved to see him.

Napstablook: Oh… what are you doing?

Mettaton: … I'm feeling like crap.

                   After saying this, Mettaton let go of him and lay down on the floor, caring nothing about his return. Napstablook saw him doing this and ended up lying at his side equally to accompany him. Both stood looking up and in the background, stars and galactic clouds began to appear, causing both to meditate. Somehow this made Napstablook happy.

Napstablook: Oh... We haven’t done this for a long time.

Mettaton: It's true...

                   They kept looking at the representation of the starry sky and Mettaton began to reflect on what had happened at the event.

Mettaton: Can you answer me one thing? ...What do I do when someone can’t believe me, even when he's being cheated?

Napstablook: Oh... Did you hear a rumor?

Mettaton: Yes and when I want to tell the truth nobody wants to believe me.

Napstablook: Oh...

                   A silence pondered in place and Mettaton kept reflecting on it, trying to find some convincing answer when Napstablook began to speak, thinking away.

Napstablook: ... When I'm alone, I always do something that I like just to distract myself, bu ... I can’t do it well, I think it's because I don’t know how to do anything but compose songs.

                   When hearing this, Mettaton stood up, intrigued by what he heard from Napstablook. He always had an existential crisis, but Mettaton always was there to help him cheer up.

Mettaton: Don’t say that Blooky. You've spent decades composing songs and they're great! A few more years are nothing to learn anything else.

Napstablook: Oh... Really?

Mettaton: Of course! And if anyone comes to speak ill of you, count with me. They don’t know the most fabulous duo there is...

                   After saying those words, Mettaton stopped and began to repeat the last words he had said, understanding the situation. His fans didn’t really know him, they just admired him for his performances, but the only ones who knew him were only his friends, both Napstablook and Frisk and the rest of the gang. No matter how much people say about him or make rumors, Mettaton knows that this was inevitable, but the truth will always be alive within him. Knowing this, Mettaton again embraced the ghost, radiant.

Mettaton: Blooky, you saved my life!

Napstablook: Oh ... And you're going to tell the truth?

Mettaton: Don’t be silly! Even if I say, I don’t expect everyone will actually believe me. But what I know, no one can take away from me.

                   Napstablook heard this and showed a shy smile, soon, he was bathed in light and Mettaton saw his badge appear on his chest suddenly. The surrounding scenery was extinguished at the same time, turning an open field with the sky dusk. Mettaton looked around him and beside him where Napstablook was, a spirit of blue color appeared.

_-" No evil will extinguish the brightness of an integral light."_

                   After saying this, the spirit entered back into its emblem and Mettaton looked comforted to it, grateful to have helped him. Suddenly, the emblem began to shine and Mettaton was transformed by his power, remaining with an aura around him and pointing up with enthusiasm.

Mettaton: Mettaton is back!

                   He then looked up and saw several lights flying in one direction through the sky, he felt he should be beside them and turned into a new light, reaching them.

                   In the last scenario, Papyrus stayed agonized watching everything, he definitely didn’t know what to do. The creatures had eaten everything and they were scattered on the floor and on the tables, sleeping. Soon, Papyrus heard a knock on the door that opened out of the room and suddenly, he looked back, seeing a human boy in old clothes opening it, Papyrus was frightened when he saw him.

Papyrus: A human?

Boy: I'm sorry ... I was the one who released these monsters.

                   Seeing that he was the real culprit for the situation to have come out that way, Papyrus again put his hands under his skull, being desperate.

Papyrus: ...What am I going to do now? They ate everything!

Boy: They told me they were starving and would help me find food, but when I let them go, they rushed from me and attacked your kitchen. I apologize a lot... I also have nothing to eat, but I don’t dare steal anything, you can blame me for what I did.

                   Papyrus heard the boy humble himself before him and didn’t know what to do, no matter how much he blamed it, it wouldn’t bring the food back, nor was it fair to blame someone who was just used to it. Meanwhile, someone knocked on the kitchen's main door and Papyrus noticed that the waiters were still waiting to pick up the dishes. It seemed that no one heard what was going on inside. So Papyrus decided to think a little about what to do until he had an idea.

Papyrus: Call them, I'll do something for you.

                   The boy didn’t know what Papyrus would do and consented to, gathering all the creatures that were asleep. Meanwhile, Papyrus rushed to the refrigerator and picked up several ingredients, quickly he sanitized his hands, turned on the oven and within minutes he prepared a consistent batter and placed it in the oven. When the dough had finished baking, he took several baguettes from the oven and put them in a paper bag, handing it to the boy. He looked at the bag full of baguettes, surprised and didn’t know what to say to the skeleton.

Papyrus: This is an exclusive recipe from the Great Papyrus! And if you want, at night we have leftovers of food, talk to them that I should wait for them at night.

Boy: But... I can’t afford it, I can’t ...

                   He was about to return the bag, but Papyrus insisted, pushing the sack to the boy.

Papyrus: That's yours.

Boy: ... Thank you very much, I’ll never forget how kind you were.

Papyrus: The Great Excellent Cooker Papyrus will always be kind to whomever you need.

                   He proudly put his hand on his chest and didn’t feel the badge there, he stopped, scared, and then, he remembered when he won his badge for the first time. When Frisk had to fight Greater Dog to bring him back to normal, Papyrus became brave enough to distract him as she helped him become a guardian. He followed her from the beginning and saw how far she had progressed. Soon, he realized that, however much this all seemed real; Papyrus understood that this was only a test to prove that his character had been shaped. He looked back at the boy gratefully.

Papyrus: Human... Thanks for reminding me who I was before, now I understand who I am.

                   Hearing this, the boy closed his eyes and the whole scene changed shape. Papyrus looked scared around him and the restaurant ceased to exist, becoming an open plain with the sky at night. Papyrus regained the badge on his chest and transformed. He then looked to the side where the boy was and saw a spirit in a bright green color.

_\- "Full kindness will always overcome your pride."_

Papyrus: ... Wait! Were you my conscience?

?: Every guardian has a conscience. When you need me, I'll be here;

                   After saying these words, the spirit returned to his emblem and Papyrus saw it shining within it. He then looked up and saw the five lights flying in one direction in the sky. Feeling that he should be with them, Papyrus became another light reaching them. After the six lights were completed, a rainbow was created where they passed and all six guardians had gathered again. With the power of the six emblems, they entered a crack that was leading them directly to the portal where both Frisk and Gaster were. Everyone was eager to find her and stop Gaster once and for all.

Sans: "... Wait for me..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For me, this is the second great chapter I've wrote. To see them resemble truthly to their guardian's souls was so gratifying.  
> And what did you think about that?
> 
> Ah, and this season is reaching the end, don't be sad cause when I post the last chapter, I'll show ya a surprise for everyone who read until the end. :3
> 
> See ya!


	26. Mercy

                 As Gaster insisted on tearing her soul, he sensed that Frisk's power was penetrating his mind in the same intensity, making him remember his memories. He didn’t resist and released his claws from her soul, feeling stunned when seeing the scenes of his life passing before his eyes. At the same time, his vision faded and everything went white. Gaster recalled his life from childhood and remembered he was despised and ridiculed for having so many ideas that others considered them useless and foolish. But one day, he saw one of these colleagues showed support and was curious to know his ideas. That someone was Asgore, the future king.

                 Both became inseparable friends from that day on even until the day of his coronation. Asgore named him Royal Scientist and authorized Gaster to invest in his ideas to become real and to benefit the monsters. And so it was done, Gaster was the greatest Real Scientist of that era and his invention: the core and all its system, was built in a way that totally changed the lives of the monsters. The technology available to them made everyone's lives steep.

                 But... Even with so much innovation, the monsters still craved the dream of being freed from underground. Ever since the guardian and Asriel had died, the hope still lingered and the whole Underground felt the despair dominating them again. Even Gaster could feel the despair within each monster, begging him to find a way to free them; somehow they could only accept that the real scientist was their only hope. And then, he began to press himself for a way to get the artifact, looking for results that gave the monsters a hope they would be released in the future.

                 The quest for the artifact totally changed his life, his dedication and effort reached a level where even he didn’t understand his actions. He became so obsessed with craving so much power that he barely realized that it was cursing him. He began to want to change the course of history, making monsters victorious over humans, and subjugating them to deeper humiliation. Gaster began to feed grudge and hatred for the human race, torturing those who fell underground and seeking a means of extracting the power stored in their souls, whether creating a new species capable of controlling the artifact, or using himself to achieve such power.

                 While all this was in his mind, Gaster felt stunned and paralyzed, seeing all his life before his eyes. Perplexed, he realized that it had caused him a different but nostalgic feeling. After years and years, something began to emanate within him, something he thought would never happen again... _He was feeling again._

Gaster "...What are you doing to me?"

                 After making this reflection, Gaster opened his eyes and found himself inside the king's palace. It was daylight; the lights of the place illuminated the whole length of it. He then looked around and saw someone there and to his surprise, he was himself; standing still, clad in his scientist's coat. He looked at him without showing any reaction and saw Asgore entering the hall, approaching him beside another person.

Asgore: Doctor Gaster! You arrived in good time! I want to introduce you to...

?: … It's nice to meet you, Doctor.

\- _Equally._

Gaster: "What? She..."

                 He stared at the girl he had seen it before and he swore this scene had really happened in his past. Gaster tried to understand why it was happening again in his mind and how Asgore was happy to have gathered them.

Asgore: ... It would be a good time to go out and get to know each other better, what do you think, doctor?

\- _Thank you for your proposal ... But I have a lot of work to do, excuse me._

                 Gaster then saw himself turning and withdrawing from the scene, leaving both frightened. He'd never stopped to think about how he'd hurt his friend for refusing the offer, so he saw Asgore showing a look of sadness and worry. Gaster had never seen him like this since he separated from his wife and lost his children. Because he had been permanently isolated in the laboratory, the friendship between them was never the same. Despite their contact, they only discussed how Gaster could find a way to acquire the artifact, so Asgore feared that he was becoming the person who had in fact become. Seeing all this, Gaster just looked down and inside him, sadness and rancor began to sprout in his soul.

                 He then closed his eyes again and the scenery changed. At that moment, he saw himself again inside the lab. Gaster looked the old scientist searching the cameras for some sign of where Sans was, but he found nothing that showed his location. Angrily, he left the control room and walked to a room where Papyrus was. Gaster also knew this scene and only followed him, fearing there was no other way of not remembering that scene of his memory. He saw the scientist unlock the door with a password and found Papyrus lying on the bed.

                 Small and weak, Papyrus saw Gaster entering the room and stood up quickly, startled to see his presence. The scientist ordered him to follow and they went to a room where several machines and a chair with handcuffs stood. Gaster put the skeleton in that chair and held him there, watching Papyrus trembling with fear. Meanwhile, the poor skeleton looked at himself in handcuffs and looked at the scientist again, startled.

Papyrus: ... What are you going to do?

Gaster: I'll run some tests on you.

Papyrus: But... You promised my brother!

Gaster: That promise never existed! If he cared about you, he would be here doing what I ordered.

Papyrus: ... That's not true!

Gaster: Think what you want. It won’t be because of him that I’ll stop continuing my work.

                 He turned coldly, walking up to one of his machines to set it up before running his tests. Meanwhile, the same one who was just watching the scenery saw Papyrus trembling with fear and even then, he had the guts to face it.

Papyrus: Why?... Why did you do that?

                 The scientist sighed impatiently and kept moving the machines. He didn’t even want to answer him.

Papyrus: ... Is there no other way to test without getting hurt?

Gaster: That's the way I chose it, even if it brings pain to you, I'll get some results faster.

Papyrus: But...

Gaster: You're talking too much, just be quiet.

                 Even after hearing his reprimand from the other side of the scene, Gaster saw just how brave Papyrus was standing up to the scientist and he could only watch him in surprise. The scientist was finishing programming the machine and being about to begin his test, Papyrus found the courage to face him one last time.

Papyrus: ...Why does it have to be like this? Don’t you care what happens? I know... I feel deep down... There is something good inside you... That worries, but... You can’t see it yet.

                 At that moment, a silence arose between them and before turning on the machine, the scientist began to ponder his words, even knowing that it was useless.

Gaster: I can’t see? ... It's true... _That has long ceased to exist_.

                 The scientist then turned on the machine without hesitation and Papyrus saw it making a strange noise as it began to concentrate energy on its tip, the machine was aiming exactly at his head and then, the machine began to work in high activity, causing the tip of the machine shooting a laser beam directly into his skull. Papyrus cried out in agony when he received the shot, but his voice eventually faded with time, making him faint when the charge was finished.

                 As he watched this scene, Gaster began to understand why those memories were unfolding in his mind. Because of his obsession, he knew how blind he was to not notice those people who, after all, cared for him. He saw that small, fragile being suffering at the hands of his previous version and couldn’t understand how Papyrus could have hope to change everything around him. Because of this, Gaster began to feel confused and anguished, he didn’t want to express his feelings again, but to see that scene made him even more regretful and discontented with himself. Gaster tried to fight his feelings unnecessarily, but he knew the power of the light that was manifested within him, it was strong enough to bring him back to consciousness.

                 Suddenly, Gaster was startled to hear someone opening the door. At the same time, he turned back and saw Sans in the same place. The older brother saw Papyrus unconscious, locked in the chair in handcuffs and became perplexed. Meanwhile, the scientist saw him there and spoke impetuously to Sans, as if he had no regrets for what he had done.

Gaster: Too late! If you had appeared before, it wouldn’t have happened.

Sans: How... Dare you?

                 Sans became furious as ever to see Gaster had broken his promise, when in fact he never wanted to keep it. Sans summoned his main weapon, multiplying in several floating dragonheads to attack the scientist directly, and as he fired a burst of energy, Gaster protected himself over another skull of the same weapon he wore. Meanwhile, Sans ran close to Papyrus and he unlocked the handcuffs that bounded him, taking him quickly to safety.

                 The scientist made his weapon disappear and left the machine, searching for Sans relentlessly. He sought out for the soul-extracting machine room because he knew Sans wasn’t far off. As he had though, the scientist found Sans there and saw him still, staring at him with hatred. The scientist didn’t even care what Sans felt and gave a mocking smile. Meanwhile, the real Gaster continued to observe everything and resented having to keep watching it, knowing that it was inevitable.

Gaster: You’re not strong enough to stop me.

Sans: ... That's what we'll see.

                 He knew Sans wasn’t strong enough to stop him and even himself knew it, but he was determined to leave this place with his brother. If both he and his brother continued to live in that prison, nothing would change and both would continue to suffer in their hands. From there, a fight for revenge began, Sans was doing everything to hit him, but Gaster was fast and could predict his attacks. As he strayed from the scientist's attacks, Sans knew he could only win if he had something in mind. After a long time, Gaster saw the scientist cornering him near the soul-drawing machine. Tired, Sans looked around desperately for a way to get out of this situation as the scientist was about to execute him.

Gaster: What did you think when you came to meet me? Did you really think you'd get what you want? ...By your disobedience, I will send you to hell.

                 Sans didn’t dare to look at him and suddenly, the skeleton showed a sarcastic smile.

Sans: ... Then we'll see us there.

                 While Gaster saw himself using his last efforts to execute him, he realized the extraction machine had switched on alone. With no body to draw a soul, the machine began to use too much energy to self-destruct, and eventually, it exploded, creating a black hole. He swore he didn’t understand how it happened and the scientist turned back, seeing the black hole sucking everything around. The scientist himself was pulled to be sucked in by the black hole and Gaster watched his own ruin happening. But before being sucked, the scientist grabbed a bar attached and turned to look at the control machine on and the state of the power at the maximum. To his surprise, Sans had disappeared from the corner where he was and saw him watching the scientist from a distance, hoping to see him being sucked into the black hole.

                 Every second, the winds that pulled everything in the path grew stronger and the scientist couldn’t hold on for long. Upon being absorbed by the crevice, he saw Sans leaving and Gaster felt his vision blur from there onward as he was fully drawn through the black hole. After years and years, he never wished to remember how his death was and for the second time, he truly felt fear. But quickly, the inner fear was taken over by a different feeling; Gaster stood still as his willingness to express his feelings was enforced every second.

                 While reflecting, Gaster knew that it was the power of light of Frisk that showed him his memories. By this time, he could no longer hide what he felt and when he decided to manifest his will, his mind began to open and the setting became the void, the place where he was imprisoned for years and years. But this time, Gaster noticed that everything was white, along with particles of brightness that fell from somewhere above the stage. Only he was there and Gaster kept looking up from where the particles of brilliance fell, giving him a strange, warm sense of inner peace. Inevitably, he lifted one of his hands up and tried to get the meaning of what he was expressing inside him, it was as if he had been born again.

Gaster: "That power... What kind of power is that? I feel... It comes from a pure feeling. This power... at the same time it wants to hurt, it heals... That power... When I feel it’s close, it stays out of my reach... Was that the answer I would receive? Even with all the efforts I've made... My expectations... Was it all in vain? "

                 Intrigued by all he saw, he couldn’t deny the manifestation of that great and pure power. In fact, he never ceased to be amazed to see that a simple human carried within her soul such a power that made him be raptured, this time, aware of his actions.

Gaster: "...I see ... I am not worthy to receive this power."

                 Arriving at this conclusion, Gaster knew he couldn’t control the same power as her. Suddenly, Tte effect of the power of light soon disappeared, returning to where he was. Gaster had given up holding Frisk's soul and watched her lying on the floor, waiting for her to wake up soon.

                 Frisk slowly opened her eyes, reluctant and exhausted. She felt her magic had been overused and didn’t know what actually happened. Frisk lifted her head to look where she was and again, she saw Gaster away from her. Then she remembered what had happened before and became surprised that she could feel her body intact, apparently he really gave up on getting her soul. When he saw her awake, he slowly approached her and Frisk got up with difficulty as she watched him approach. As the two of them started to stare, a silence came around and Gaster didn’t know how to express himself, he stared at her and showed no expression. But within him, there were many things he doubted. But contrary to what Frisk was thinking at that moment, he had no more desire to examine her soul or to usurp her power.

Gaster: ... You won… I can’t control that power.

                 When Frisk heard that, she became puzzled and the same time, a huge relief mixed with happiness filled her soul. But there was something that made her uneasy, was this a chance to convince him to get rid of his evil?

Frisk: So... Even if you gave up, do... Do you want to live a normal life?

                 Gaster kept saying nothing as he heard that, he imagined that Frisk would try to convince him to be someone else, but that was impossible for him, not after the agreement he made with the guardians.

Gaster: ... I can’t.

Frisk: ... Why?

Gaster: For the things I've done, I'm doomed to live stuck in void for all eternity.

Frisk: But... Don’t you believe in yourself to give a second chance?

Gaster: Don’t say these things to someone who has lived torturing and killing by science. You should have known that many humans died at the hands of someone who blindly obeyed me. The story which I fell into my creation must continue to exist, so... I ask you to not have mercy on me, human. My destiny is eternal death.

                 Frisk heard it and couldn’t understand the cruel fate that awaited him. She knew his past because of Sans and yet, she couldn’t just accept that fact. Gaster just stared at her seriously and spoke again.

Gaster: This should proceed according to the deal. The fate of your meeting with the guardians was inevitable. This place, this dimension and the labyrinth were created with the strength of my soul. As long as I'm alive, you can’t leave. The only way to leave this place is to execute me.

                 Frisk reluctantly listened to his words and remained unconvinced. Why did it have to be this way? Was it really the only way for everyone to be free? Someone's life in exchange for their freedom wasn’t a pleasant invitation. She clenched her fists and remained reluctant.

Frisk: ... That's not fair.

Gaster: Say what you want... There's no other way.

                 Meanwhile, Gaster continued to watch her disagree what he said and felt uneasy. Even after he had hurt her so ruthlessly, how could she hold on to kindness to forgive him? Somehow it reminded him of Papyrus once and again, his feelings welled up in his chest. It was making him nervous and he hated having to stifle his feelings while watching Frisk act that way.

Frisk: I'm sorry, but... I can’t accept this...

                 He stopped to look at her and surprisingly, she showed him a different face. Frisk was determined in some way to prevent his eternal suffering, and even she didn’t know how to do it herself, she trusted too much to manage to do something, and Gaster saw it in astonishment.

Frisk: I always felt that, deep down, all the monsters were on my side when I broke the barrier. I promised to protect all monsters from now on and... You’re one of them too... So I can’t go against my promise.

Gaster: ... Stop it.

                 He was distressed by what he heard from her. Her willpower comes from a pure heart and her words showed him that she was really different. Even so, he didn’t believe he deserved her words full of love, he didn’t want to get another chance and that was driving him crazy. Meanwhile, Frisk held out both hands and again, the two options emerged in each of them. She looked at each option carefully and decided to go ahead by choosing the same option as before. So, Frisk clenched her fist with the knife and it vanished instantly, making the star she held still live in her soul, the mercy.

                 Gaster continued to stare at her even after seeing her pious gesture; he wasn’t about to accept it any other way, he didn’t want to go back, it was too late now that his destiny was drawn forever and Gaster began to stare at her, furious.

Gaster: ... You left me no choice.

                 Willing to make Frisk change her mind about him, Gaster turned his right hand back into a dark claw to attack her unmercifully. His claw advanced quickly and Frisk didn’t move, letting him grab her neck and lift her up. Feeling pulled up, Frisk felt her neck tighten tightly and she tried to pull his claws around her, but he just stared at her as he gripped tightly, angry, he didn’t want to be forgiven.

                 Suddenly, both Frisk and Gaster noticed that something was rapidly approaching the dimension where they were. On one side of the dimension, a light appeared at the bottom of the site and was growing immensely until it became a new portal. Frisk instantly felt that her friends had come to rescue her and Gaster dropped her and retreated quickly, hoping he would finally be executed by them.

                 The six guardians came out of that portal flying and the first to advance against Gaster was Sans, then Asgore, Undyne and Mettaton joined him and the four began an intense combat, while Toriel and Papyrus were in the rearguard and found Frisk fallen, helping her to get up.

Toriel: My daughter! Thanks to the light we found you.

Papyrus: I'll heal you!

                 While Papyrus used his magic to heal Frisk, she watched the four guardians fighting Gaster relentlessly and feared they would kill him. Sans and Undyne sent projectiles of daggers and spears against him and Asgore made his trident turn into a sword, firing a beam of light. The three attacks came together to hit Gaster and when the attacks reached him, a cloud of smoke was created on the scene. But when the smoke subsided, they saw Gaster had defended himself using a giant dragon's head as a shield, that same shield had broken and haven’t resisted their attacks. Again, the four guardians decided to face him in hand-to-hand combat and each one tried to hit him, either with kicks or punches, but Gaster was able to divert quickly and each time he dispersed one, another guardian entered the fight in place of the previous one, everything happening quickly.

                 Frisk saw the fight going on several times and watched in anguish, she had to make them stop fighting and so, she screamed for everyone to hear her.

Frisk: Stop! He doesn’t want to fight anymore!

                 Toriel looked at her in surprise and couldn’t believe that Frisk didn’t want them to kill him. He was the cause of being all trapped in another dimension and because of this, she thought that Gaster was controlling her not to let them fight.

Toriel: That's not possible, is he controlling you? We won’t be fooled!

                 Hearing that, Frisk realized that all the guardians thought the same as Toriel and returned to fight, except Papyrus. He tried to believe her words, but he was afraid that most of them were right and so he didn’t say anything as he looked at the fight with some fear. Meanwhile, Frisk was puzzled to see that most of them didn’t believe her, they were all focused on killing Gaster, but she had already forgiven him. She had to stop them without thinking they were being manipulated. Urgently, she placed her hand on her chest and sought a way to make them stop fighting, hoping to be heard.

Frisk: "Please, listen to me... Make them stop."

                 Hearing her request, her power manifested itself once more and she felt her soul reappear, causing the star within her to rise again as a signal that they would stop fighting. This time, everyone heard that something was catching their attention and they stopped to see their emblems emitting a bright aura around themselves. They were perplexed to see that she wanted them to stop fighting, but they realized that she wasn’t being manipulated by Gaster as they thought.

                 For a moment, they didn’t understand the real reason she caught the attention of all of them, but if there was something she wanted to do instead of just fight, then, they decided to give in to her request and went to meet him, except Sans, who remained still at the same place. He still couldn’t understand why Frisk made them all stop, he received her request and even then, he kept staring at Gaster, not believing that he would leave that opportunity behind and let him live after all he did... _Not after his unsuccessful attempt to send him into oblivion._

                 He was still convinced of what he wanted to do and Sans clenched his fists, resisting her call, and so, he positioned himself once more, deciding to do what he had planned from the beginning. Frisk saw that Sans had gone back and looked even more agonized, he really wanted to kill him and everyone watched him startled. For a moment, they thought to come back to help him, but Frisk called him once again, desperate.

Frisk: Sans, no!

                 He just listened to her and said nothing, knowing he was acting on his own. He reached out his hand to Gaster and made his main weapon appear, his pistol pointed straight at him and Sans aimed him with his left iris. This time, Frisk saw that if she didn’t do anything, he would actually run it and so, she started to run toward him, determined to stop him with all her might.

Frisk: ... STOP!

                 He remained so focused on his target that he was sure he wouldn’t regret what he decided to do. He even didn’t realize Frisk was running toward him and began to make his weapon carry a gigantic energy to run it. Meanwhile, Gaster just stared at him and didn’t dare to move, accepting the condemnation that would come to him. As soon as the weapon finished loading, Sans didn’t hesitate to shoot his final target.

Sans: Justice... Final Punishment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cliffhanger*  
> OMG SANS DON'T DO THAT!! Dx  
> And the next one is the final chapter of this sequel so... Be prepared for a heartbreaking final :p  
> What will happen? Will she manage to stop him? *I really hope so*
> 
> Hope you're liking so far!


	27. Artifact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the final chapter! And below, there's a little surprise for ya!

                When Sans spoke with conviction, the shot was made and Gaster just closed his eyes, waiting to be hit. Surely, that was his end, his condemnation was being executed. However, Frisk kept running to reach them, her footsteps won’t keep up the speed of the shot and she desperately wanted to not see him die. Frisk was willing to do anything to prevent his death, _even if she had to take the shot in his place_. Using all her willpower, her determination increased exponentially, so she felt the time go slower. Also, her speed of movement increased even more until she entered in the middle of them. Keeping firmly on the ground, Frisk looked ahead of Sans as she received the shot in front of Gaster. At that moment, she felt she had been punched in the belly and after that, time went back as normal. Seconds later, Gaster opened his eyes and saw that he hadn’t been killed, instead of him, he saw Frisk in front of him, falling to her knees on the floor, trembling with pain. Everyone saw what Frisk had done as they became stuned, perplexed; they thought she had died because of him. Even Sans thought he'd killed her for not paying attention, but seeing she was alive, he couldn’t think of anything else. He didn’t expect Frisk to step in among them to defend his enemy and became angry at her attitude.

Sans: ... WHAT DID YOU DO?

                Even hearing him scream, Frisk didn’t respond the same way; she was so sure of what she had done as continued to kneel, enduring the pain.

Frisk: ... You can’t kill me.

Sans: See what you did? ...You protected your enemy!

                His left eye remained active as he stared at Gaster, Sans was unwilling to surrender in any way, and in the same way, he saw Frisk rise and stand in front of him as she stared Sans insistently. She was afraid, but she decided to remain firm, she wanted him to stop and Frisk wasn’t going to give up.

Frisk: ... Stop it, please...

Sans: Get out of the way!

Frisk: No!

                Faced with her refusal, they all felt more agonized watching the three of them there. The guardians noticed her determination so high so they dared not to do anything to stop her. Meanwhile, Gaster saw her insistence and remained perplexed, trying to understand why she was doing it for him. Feeling that he could do nothing alike, he became only reluctant when speaking.

Gaster: ... Don’t do that... you’re overhelming yourself.

Sans: You're controlling her, aren’t you?

Frisk: Sans, listen to me... He already gave up fighting...

Sans: Frisk, you don’t know him! He never had mercy on humans. All he did was for science, even I and Papyrus had no purpose for him. We were tortured all our lives and now he's one step closer to get what he wants.

Gaster: That's right...

                This time, everyone stopped to look at him, except Frisk who kept staring at Sans for him not shoot, as Sans continued to stare at him angryly.

Gaster: ... All my life has been dedicated to science. Because of the artifact, I was blinded by the power I was hoping to receive. I don’t deny many humans were killed by the experiences I made. I am aware of my dishonor and my destiny is to leave this place, so everyone can live in peace.

Frisk: ... I don’t believe it.

                This time all the looks focused on her and Sans continued to stare at him, although he became confused to see her disagreeing with his statement. Frisk stopped staring at him seriously and began to speak to everyone, placing a hand on her chest.

Frisk: I don’t think we should take our lives for someone, this is not altruism. And the people who were on your side? How would they feel? It doesn’t matter who we are… We all can make mistakes, both humans and monsters.

                Though he understood what she meant, Gaster was sure it wasn’t as simple as she thought and again, he was reluctant.

Gaster: Human, you don’t...

Frisk: ... I may not know you, but… Do you know how many good things you've done to other monsters? If you didn’t take the quest to get the artifact, would all the monsters hope to be free again?

                This time, he stopped and began to remember that once, he had been the hope of the Underground. He realized that Asgore had been on his side even in the worst moments, encouraging him, and lastly, he remembered Papyrus. After all the old scientist did to him, Gaster couldn’t deny that his soul was the most special of all. At that time, he looked back at Frisk and noticed that she was looking at him, this time, showing a smile. She had forgiven him the same way, and then, he felt he had no choice but to accept her forgiveness.

Frisk: ... When we live, we should always be willing to fail, but that isn’t the end. If we accept our mistakes, there will be always a new beginning. Just as I... I've worked hard all these years to give what many wouldn’t give for monsters, because my wish is for all monsters to be happy.

                After hearing what she thought, the guardians became marveled by her words; also, they knew she was indeed special. It wasn’t anyone who would think the same in that situation and Frisk proved she was brave enough to defend her perspective. Sans couldn’t deny he thought the same of her after hearing these words, but he began to tremble with frustration. He didn’t understand her words enough to forgive even his greatest enemy, making him desperate. At that moment, she turned and looked back at Sans, seeing that he was still looking at her in fright. She felt it was time to make him stop. Slowly, she approached him, placing her hand on the dragon's skull in his weapon.

Frisk: Sans... Please... Think of your life now, in everything you've achieved so far. None of this would have been possible if it hadn’t been you, and now... You got what you always wanted: a family, friends and most importantly... Hope. So... What are you doing now is the right thing? If you kill him... Are you being fair?

                He knew the answer and Sans knew he'd let himself be carried away by his revenge; he couldn’t deny that this time, she'd never been so sure. Though frustrated, Sans couldn’t understand her; her loyalty and determination were far greater than he had imagined. By this time, he knew that there was nothing else to be done and reluctantly, he accepted his defeat. Slowly, he let his arm drop down, equally, his head turned down and he began to sob. At that moment, he became so frustrated that even Frisk didn’t know what to do to calm him down; she saw him as badly as she began to think he would hate her after what she did. As soon as Sans gave up, Papyrus suddenly ran to Frisk and hugged her, crying with emotion.

Frisk: Papyrus...?

Papyrus: ... Thank you... Human... I really hoped you could stop him.

                Frisk didn’t know what to say after hearing him; she had never seen Papyrus react like this. She also looked around and saw her friends approaching her; they were looking her with another vision about her person and Frisk couldn’t feel happier to have managed to convince them. Little by little, each guardian went to both and together, everyone made a collective hug. Sans just stared at them and not knowing how to react, he felt so bad he had doubted her that he didn’t know how to apologize, not only for yelling at her, but fer everything had happened since before the labyrinth. Meanwhile, Gaster looked at that scene and wondered what she had just said, if she really believed he could start all over again, how would the monsters react to that?

Gaster: ...I fear my reputation isn’t good enough to start over, but... I see no one can change your though, human. Your hope in creating a better world is the reason for the strength of your heart. There is no doubt you are really capable to control the artifact.

                Everyone heard his statement and the guardians broke free of the embrace, at which point all eyes returned to him and Frisk remembered something important that Gaster should fulfill.

Frisk: We're not done yet... When you leave, we should take you to the police for the damage you caused to everyone.

Gaster: ... I see. I must fulfill my part and I’ll be willing to do so.

                Seeing that he would even surrender to the police, Frisk again felt happy to have managed to convince him. From there, everyone should think of a way to get out of that dimension, but suddenly, a strange glow appeared mysteriously in one corner of the room and everyone heard a voice, unlike any they had heard before.

**_\- "…Useless."_ **

                Everyone became intrigued by what they had just heard and no one had any idea who the voice was. Quickly, that strange light turned a sharp beam and hit Gaster in the back, crossing in the middle of the chest. Gaster became paralyzed to receive so much damage from that beam and everyone looked at him, shocked at what had happened. As soon as the beam passed through his body, it instantly disappeared, creating a hole in the middle of his chest as his soul became visible, but it was about to break and lose its glow at any moment due to the critical attack. Again, the voice spoke to everyone with impetus.

**_\- “... All those who oppose Chaos will be eliminated! ... Soon will be your turn ... Guardians”._ **

                As soon as the voice ended, they heard a diabolical laugh that mingled with the silence until it disappeared. Listening to that voice made everyone perplexed; it seemed that this fight was still far from over. But then, their attention turned to Gaster when he was trying to stand firm on the ground, but he didn’t have the strength to hold himself for long, his soul would be about to leave at any moment and seeing that, Frisk ran to hold him , desperate, she didn’t want to see him die.

Frisk: Gaster... Hold on, please.

Gaster: ... So I was destined to die from the beginning...

Frisk: No! ...You will live! You have to believe you can do it!

Gaster: I'm sorry... My soul is weak by this time, it's too late.

Frisk: ... It's only too late when you give up!

                Even on the brink of death, Gaster could only wonder how Frisk desperately wanted him to live. He didn’t cease to be surprised by her response and seeing that she was still so determined, he understood that his life rely no more on him, so his confidence was with her. Unwilling to stand, he ended up lying close to her, creating some hope that Frisk would find a way to save him, but Frisk had no idea how she was going to do this. She was always so sure of what she was talking about, but now, she felt really desperate enough to cry over his life, thinking about how she would save him. Frisk decided to ask for help and so, putting her hands together, her thoughts were focused only on making him live, but she knew she needed a much greater power for it.

                Meanwhile, everyone continued to watch the scene and began to wonder what they could do to help her, as Sans only watched how Frisk was really willing to use all of herself to save him.

Sans: "I can’t understand... even with your worst enemies, you are able to forgive them and even lay down your life for them... You believe so much in yourself you don’t expect to receive anything to help the others? ...Why? "

                He looked at himself and even with so many doubts; he couldn’t deny that all this time, Frisk was only being herself. That promise never made as much sense as now and because of this, he found himself wanting to help her. If he could, he would give his power to help her accomplish what she wanted and not only him, everyone were willing to share their powers to help her. Immediately, all the emblems began to shine and a voice spoke in unison from within them.

_\- "The time has come... When your minds become one, your desire will be attended to."_

                When everyone heard that, Sans stood still and began to focus on meeting his desire to help her. One by one, all the guardians gathered around her in a half circle and Sans opened his eyes as he saw Undyne and Papyrus reach out their hands for him to hold. Slowly, when everyone held their hands, they closed their eyes and joined their minds. Inevitably, each guardian recalled every phrase that each conscience said before.

Asgore: _There will be no obstacle beyond the patience._

Undyne: _Those who dare to overcome their weakness will know the bravery of spirit._

Toriel: _Perseverance will bring strength to the humble._

Papyrus: _Full kindness will always overcome your pride._

Mettaton: _No evil will extinguish the brightness of an integral light._

Sans: _When all remorse should be suppressed, justice shall prevail._

                As they said every sentence, all the badges glowed intensely and Frisk felt something was happening around her. She saw all the guardians around and from them; their badges began to focus a great power. Suddenly, she saw her soul reappear in front of her, shining brightly and then, the soul levitated upward and Frisk kept looking at it, wondering what was going on. All the emblems reacted with the presence of her soul and created a beam of light, going straight to meet the floating soul and then, her soul turned into a crystal red sphere. Inside it was an eight-pointed star and Frisk saw it, perplexed.

Frisk: "... This sphere appeared in my dream ... is it...?".

                Seeing the red sphere levitating, Gaster became delighted to see it for the first and only time in his life. Even if Frisk couldn’t make him live, that was the greatest satisfaction he could muster. Gaster then closed his eyes, seeing that his time was really running out. The red crystal ball levitated down until it stopped at the height of Frisk's eyes and immediately, she touched it. The sphere reacted to her touch and the whole place was bathed in light, Frisk only kept her focus at the sphere and suddenly, it materialized in a golden goblet, with wings equal to those of an angel. The cup had been shaped according to the delta rune symbol and in the glass; there were crystals around with the colors of the guardian souls.

                Frisk knew immediately that it was the artifact and she held it by the wings. Instinctively, Frisk lifted the goblet to her mouth and before even touching it to her lips, the cup turned into a small light and entered through her mouth, going quickly to the place of her soul. As it landed inside her chest, Frisk felt she had acquired a new power, far greater than she had felt before; finally she had possessed the one desired artifact power. Then, the light reappeared on her chest and it materialized into a new emblem: a heart with an eight-pointed star and instead of a ribbon, there was two wings. She picked up her new badge and lifted it up, proclaiming it aloud.

Frisk: Artifact Power! Rise up!

                The new emblem shone brightly and Frisk felt herself again floating. When the emblem's magic radiated, Frisk gained two wings as she transformed. Her magic made a dress of white, red and pink color with a shape of heart around the chest and more golden details. Also, it appeared tall, white, gold boots with heart details and wings on the foot, long gloves and a golden crown also appeared. Several feathers arose around her wrapping around her and her wings took a different and smaller shape, adjusting her back. After transforming, her staff transformed into a longer one, the red crystal with the eight-pointed star rested on the upper base of the staff and around the sphere, there was a heart-shaped ornament with wings.

                When Frisk landed on the ground after she transformed, she became filled with a white aura and then, she picked up and lifted her new staff. With so much power she had, her first wish was to save Gaster; Frisk then placed the staff in front of her and the staff grew in size until it touched the floor. She looked at the sphere and wished with all her might to save him.

Frisk: By the power of the artifact ... My wish is for him to live!

                At her request, a floating light emerged from the sphere and hovered until reaching his chest, more specifically, into his soul. He appeared to be sleeping when the light touched him and as soon as it disappeared, his body began to emit a different light, entering directly into his unconscious.

                Inside it, Gaster stood alone in the darkness, standing there, as if he had no more hope remaining. Suddenly, he saw a semblance of light appear behind him. Gaster looked back and saw a light in a shape of a woman, floating, looking directly at him as she slowly reached her hand for him. Gaster looked at her, frightened and confused, he had no idea who that woman was, but he felt she emanated a different energy, as if she opened a door for a fresh start.

                Then he reached out one of his hand and took hers. Inevitably, he looked back at her and the woman smiled at him. The light emanating from her expanded and everything around her turned white, taking away any trace of darkness from his unconscious. Gaster felt the light fill him completely and he became who he was before. He looked at himself and became surprised to be wearing his old scientist suit together; also, he noticed his hands were normal; Gaster was no longer in his corrupted form. Immediately, Gaster felt the light make him wake up as he opened his eyes quickly, startled. He saw a huge light coming up and knew that it was Frisk who emanated all that light, thanks to her new power.

                All the guardians ceased to join their minds and opened their eyes, being surprised to see what was happening. After saving him, Frisk stopped using her magic and her aura began to fade until she opened her eyes and watched all of them looking at her in surprise. Initially she didn’t know what to say, even a little shy, she felt grateful that they had helped her. Each one approached her and didn’t lack compliments.

Mettaton: Frisk darling! You are absolutely DI-VI-NE!

Undyne: ... And those wings are real?

Toriel: I'm so happy for you, my daughter!

Frisk: ... Thank you...

                Amidst so many laughter of happiness, Asgore couldn’t be prouder of her. He remembered when she had been reluctant not to return to the village for having lost her powers. But inside, Asgore always knew she still kept her powers asleep and when the time should came, they would be awakened. For a moment, Frisk looked at her father and she remembered this same event as she held her emotion when she went to hug him.

Asgore: I said they were there... Thank you for believing me.

Frisk: Actually… I should say thank you...

                Meanwhile, Gaster stood up and realized that his strengh had returned. He was wearing a long black suit and no longer was in the form of a corrupted ghost. He began to reflect what he had just seen and various theories of her power popped into his mind, trying to find answers.

Gaster: "... That woman who appeared in my dream... cured me completely... Is this the power of the artifact? I should research more about it. "

                As everyone talked to each other, they began to feel a tremor that increased gradually until it became an earthquake. Everyone looked scared around and Gaster realized that the dimension where everyone was was breaking up.

Frisk: ... What's going on?

Gaster: That's not good... This dimension is dissolving, if we don’t get out of here fast, we should be sucked into void. You won’t have another chance to go back to your dimension any time soon.

                Hearing that, everyone became frightened and didn’t know how they could get out of that dimension, so the earthquake ceased and around, cracks appeared, making them even tenser.

Asgore: ...But can you do anything?

Gaster: Unfortunately I no longer have control of this dimension, but...

                He then turned his gaze to Frisk and she seemed to have understood the message, she gripped her staff tightly and looked at them with determination.

Frisk: Let's get out of here.

                The guardians gave her room and Frisk again held her staff firmly on the ground, wishing everyone with her to leave and return home. The staff began to emit an intense light and instantaneously, the dimension began to break into pieces. The shards of the walls coming from that place were pulled by some hole away from them and everyone could see this dimension being sucked into a black hole.

                Frisk continued to focus on her desire as the staff created a cone-shaped barrier, protecting the seven around it. Although it was working, she felt she was using a lot of power; Frisk had never used such complex magic and it began to weaken her. Everyone saw her begining to give away and they became scared.

Asgore: Quick! Let's help her!

                Everyone agreed with him and again, the six guardians stood around her and holded their hands together, uniting their minds again to help her; as Gaster saw Asgore and Papyrus held out their hands for him to hold, he didn’t know the last time he had given hands to anyone, but that was enough for him to want to help her too. The seven emblems glowed in unison and Frisk felt her magic grow stronger thanks to her friends; so they all looked up as light particles formed around the barrier.

Asgore: Patience Power!

Mettaton: Integrity Power!

Toriel: Perseverance Power!

Undyne: Bravery Power!

Sans: Justice Power!

Papyrus: Kindness Power!

Frisk: Artifact Power! Take us back to our dimension!

                After stating their request, the staff emitted even more power and the light particles gathered in larger numbers around them, creating a huge sphere and this time, their power made them teleport quickly before the dimension is completely sucked through the black hole.

                Far away, Alphys was in the same place where her friends had been before entering the portal; it had passed one night and it was already morning. Alphys did her best to locate them all, but she could only count on her hope of seeing them back. Using her radar, she had returned to the scene when dawning and kept staring at it, hoping there was some sign of them. Then, she saw her radar whistle, warning there was a lot of energy appearing on one spot. She looked at her front, frightened and, in the same place where the portal was before, there was another dimensional crevice appearing, but Alphys noticed this crevasse being created by a white and luminous power. She felt hopeful to see them back and seconds later, she saw seven luminous shapes that quickly turned into her friends, coming out of that portal. Alphys ran to see Undyne and Mettaton first and hugged them, excited.

                Lastly, when Alphys saw Frisk's new look, she widened her eyes in amazement and admiration. She was truly divine dressed like that; Alphys hurried over to Frisk and looked all the measurements of her clothing, anxiously.

Alphys: ... I HAVE TO MAKE A COSPLAY OF THIS!

                Gaster came out of the portal lastly and as he saw them in laughter, he stared into the clear morning sky and just for a moment, he never thought he would see something like that with his own eyes. He then looked back at everyone and gave a brief cough, approaching Frisk. Everyone was interrupted at his sound and Frisk turned to look at him, worried. As soon as he got close to her, Gaster knelt down and lowered his head, perplexing her.

Gaster: My congratulations, princess.

Frisk: But... My parents are no longer kings.

Gaster: That's not what I’ve meant.

                He raised his head to stare at her as he stood up, staring at the badge on his chest and pointing at him.

Gaster: Your strength of your heart and the confidence of your friends made the artifact appear. It’s the proof it was destined to choose you as heiress.

Frisk: ... Heiress?

                Frisk became surprised to hear his words, but he didn’t answer her doubt. After saying these words, he turned his back and stared up at the sky as he started to think something. If the artifact awakened the moment he was about to die, there was something behind it that connected the person who tried to take his life.

Gaster: But... I'm afraid this is just the beginning of a war.

Frisk: What do you mean?

Gaster: The person who freed me from the void was the one who tried to kill me.  She just used me to get its location and now, she must know you have the artifact.

                Everyone couldn’t believe what he was talking about and looked each other in a frightened way.

Undyne: ... So this was all planned? Even your death was bait?

Gaster: I think so... This person has a much greater power than anyone have ever seen.

Frisk: And... Who is she?

Gaster: I don’t know. That's why I pray for you, guardian. Your power will be recognized by all beings in this universe and Chaos should come after you with all his power to destroy you. If you really want to save this world, human, be strong and keep the strength of your heart.

                After what he heard, Frisk felt sad to know this wasn’t over. It was no longer just her soul that was at stake, she was unaware of the immensity of danger approaching. After the conversation, everyone returned to normal and Gaster accompanied them, being taken to the police to be arrested for his acts. Until the police picked him up, several journalists saw Frisk approaching and they ran to her to interview her, as Mettaton couldn’t miss this opportunity to appear on the cameras, he infiltrate in their midst.

                Meanwhile, his friends watched the whole scene laughing and Sans watched the police take Gaster, putting him inside a car. He had never imagined that it would happen, but seeing him being arrested discharged all his remorse, feeling in peace with himself. Sans knew this feeling he owed to Frisk, but he still felt guilty for having treated her badly when she protected Gaster. Then, Sans stared at her for a moment and suddenly, they both met their gaze. Soon, Sans turned around, feeling sorry for what happened and when Frisk saw him doing it, she felt bad for him, thinking she'd forced him to do something he regretted.

Sans: "... I'm such a bonehead...”

Frisk: "... I knew it... he hates me now."

                Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton noticed the situation and looked each other worriedly, but Alphys didn’t know what had really happened and looked confused at Undyne.

Alphys: What happened to them?

Undyne: Ah... Long story, Alphys.

                Also, with the help of Alphys ,the amalgamates returned to their families and everything returned to normal. Arriving home, Frisk went to her room and layed down on her bed as if she hadn’t slept for days, also, all the guardians remained in their homes.

                Minutes later, in the skeleton brothers' house, Papyrus slept soundly and Sans only stared at the ceiling. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel like sleeping. Astonished, a lot of things happened in a short amount of time and he couldn’t absorb everything, mainly because of Frisk. The illusion he had about her and yet, her courage and conviction when defending his enemy made her able to be elected by the artifact. Since Frisk had returned, Sans always had the image she was an innocent person as his brother and even though Papyrus had changed after years, he had never imagined how much she had changed.

Sans: "... Have I been deceived all this time? ...Who are you now?"

                He couldn’t stop thinking about her, Frisk had indeed surprised him and this made him develop more respect and admiration for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA FINNALY!  
> Here's the final chapter of the sequel! And as you see, this serie is far from the real ending. ;P  
> That's how Frisk managed to get her new power, her design here:  
> http://fav.me/dc6aiay
> 
> I have to agree, she looks really divine, isn't she?
> 
> I hope you liked the story and also, to see ya again another time.  
> Don't forget to add kudos and comment what you though!
> 
> About the third season, I hope to bring it the next year or the end of this year (looks like a anime season all of that, huh?)  
> I know I'm doing all this delay, that's why I'm almost graduating from my college, so wish me good luck!
> 
> Again, thank you for your support!  
> OMG WAIT, I couldn't let you leave without seeing this masterpiece for everyone who followed my story! So ENJOY: http://fav.me/dc7ygkg
> 
> Floowy me on Tumblr too: @sapphirah1
> 
> See ya!


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